William Andrew Whittaker

Andrew Whittaker, 76, of Greshamville in Greene County, died Nov. 26, 2018, after an extended illness.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, Nov. 29  at McCommons Funeral Home from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Funeral services will be held at New Hope Baptist Church, 1400 Farmington Road, Madison, Ga., on Friday, Nov. 30, at 1 p.m. with Rev. Mike Pritchett officiating. Burial will follow at the New Hope Cemetery.

A lifelong resident of Greene County, Andrew was born Dec. 1, 1941, to the late Frank and Era Whittaker. Andrew graduated from Greensboro High School in 1959. While in high school, he was a member of Future Farmers of America and played guard and tackle for the Tiger Football Team. He also played right field on the baseball team.

After graduating, Andrew began dairy farming full-time on the family farm. For a number of years, he also worked part-time for Edgar Sisk driving a truck to pick up eggs from farms across Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.

On June 8, 1969, he married the love of his life, Catherine. Their 49-year marriage was a true partnership. The couple lived the rewarding life of dairy farmers until retiring in 2003.  

Andrew was a man of faith whose life was a testimony of his relationship with Christ. He often helped neighbors without being asked and strangers others overlooked. His word was his bond.

He was a life-long member of New Hope Baptist Church in Greshamville. Through the years, Andrew served his church as a deacon, Sunday School superintendent, and on various committees. In retirement he enjoyed working with New Hope’s AWANA and Vacation Bible School programs. He also volunteered as a  Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief  worker. 

His interests included gardening, reading and working word find puzzles. When he was younger he loved to hunt and fish. An animal lover, he had many beloved dogs and cats throughout his life. He liked history and enjoyed working on the committee that published the Greene County Heritage Book in 2009.

He is survived by his wife, Catherine; daughter, Jennifer Whittaker, of Macon, Ga.; siblings Shirley (the late James) Simmons, Susan Whittaker and Tony Whittaker, all of Greshamville; and brother Richard (Gwen) Whittaker of Glennville, Ga., and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Lynn (the late Mildred) Whittaker of Rabun Gap, Ga. and Jack Whittaker of Greshamville. 

Pallbearers will be Ricky Curtis, Chris Mason, Sam Mason, Gene Richmond, Zeke Townsend and Stewart Whittaker.  Honorary pallbearers will be Billy Callaway, Charles Chappelear, Jeff Gunter, Jeff Stewart and members of the New Hope Baptist Adult IV Sunday School Class. 

Memorial donations may be made to the New Hope Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 1400 Farmington Road, Madison, GA 30650;  The  Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief Fund, 6405 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Duluth, Ga., 30097; or the Georgia Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, P.O. Box 7068, Macon, Ga. 31209. 

His wife and daughter would like to thank the healthcare workers at St. Mary’s Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital and Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital for their help and kindness during Andrew’s illness. The family also extends heartfelt thanks to everyone who offered prayers and support in numerous ways during the past three months.  McCommons Funeral Home, 109 W. Broad St., Greensboro, GA, (706) 453-2626, is in charge of arrangements. Visit us online at www.mccommonsfuneralhome.com to sign the guest register.

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