Captain William E. "Bill" Whitlock, Medical Service Corps, USN Retired of Pensacola, FL, died Sunday, June 18, 2017.
He was born in Enloe, TX, May 18, 1930, to Earnest and Nora Roberts Whitlock. In 1947 he began a career in the US Navy where he served in health care and hospital facilities throughout the world for the next thirty years. He served during the Korean conflict and had one tour of duty in Vietnam. He was the first Medical Service Corps officer to serve as Executive Officer of the Naval Hospital in Pensacola. Following duty in Pensacola, he was Executive Officer of the Naval Medical Center, Camp Lejeune, NC, from 1974 to 1977, where he retired from active duty.
He was a strong advocate for education for young people and never missed an opportunity to advise, to challenge, and to recommend measures for self-improvement. Mentors and leaders in the years of his military service were truly an inspiration. He received an undergraduate degree in Business from George Washington University in Washington DC, and a Masters Degree (an MBA) from the University of West Florida.
Since retiring from military service in 1977, he resided in Pensacola where he was the manager of a nursing home, the manager of businesses, and a real estate agent. He was a volunteer at the Navy Housing Office at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, for many years.
At a very young age he fell in love and married the love of his life. She was one of the most lovable and unpretentious people that he had ever met. He was convinced that getting married at an early age, leaving the farm to have a career in the US Navy, and getting a college degree were the wisest decisions in his life.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Margaret Frances Renschke Whitlock of Pensacola and three of their four children, daughters, Linda (Dale Peterson) of Federal Way, WA; Barbara (Ronald Ergle) of Dacula, GA and Brenda (Stephen Pace) of Fayetteville, GA; a son preceded him death. He was the proud grandfather of five grandchildren and the great-grandfather of 8 great-grandchildren. He gave and he received unconditional love from his wife, his children, his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren, even though they were often separated by many miles.
Bill was a member of St. Paul's Parish since 1977. He gives thanks for the support and prayers during and after radiation and chemotherapy, for caregivers, a very special thanks to Dr. Amos Prevatt, Dr. Scott Finelli, Dr. Dee McLeod, Dr. Frank Messina, Dr. Dany El-Sayah and Dr. Aaron Montgomery.
He was born during the Depression, his parents divorced when he was seven years old and having his youth cut short by WWII were factors that shaped his early life. He was familiar with the south ends of north-bound mules pulling plows, hay rakes and manure spreaders. As a teenager, during WWII, he became an expert at cleaning cattle barns and fertilizing entire farm growing areas. He found that work is hard and that education was important to insure a future.
Visitation will be held 5-7pm Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel. Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:30am Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at St. Paul Catholic Church with Fr. Paul Moody celebrant. Interment will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery with full military honors.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul Catholic Church or to your favorite charity.