John William Whitinger, Jr. passed away June 29, 2017 in the early morning hours at the age of 74. He lost a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
John was born on December 24, 1942, the son of John W. Whitinger and Elizabeth (Priebe) Whitinger in South Bend, Indiana.
He graduated from South Bend Central High School and served overseas in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.
John married Martha (Williams) Whitinger, his wife of 50 years, on August 20, 1966. He is survived by Martha; his four children, John Whitinger, III, Robin Chittum (Ron), Andrew Whitinger, and Timothy Whitinger (Samantha) and ten grandchildren. One of seven children, John is survived by his brother, four sisters, and countless nieces and nephews. His parents and one sister preceded him in death.
A chemical engineer by training, John graduated from Purdue University and worked for several companies making household products. Later in life he pursued his desire to help others by serving as District Executive for the Boy Scouts of America and working for the Monroe County American Red Cross. When he retired, he went back to school for a degree in accounting. He was named Business Student of the Year at Monroe County Community College and graduated from Siena Heights University. At Siena Heights he was inducted into Alpha Sigma Lambda, national honor society for adult students in higher education. He gave generously of his time and energy to the Boy Scouts, 4-H, Heritage UMC, and Parkinson’s Support Groups. John was an ardent fisherman passing on the sport to all.
Visitation for John will be held from 11:00 A.M. until 12:00 P.M. on Saturday, August 19, 2017 at Zion United Methodist Church, 4533 Co Rd 11, Wauseon, OH 43567. A Celebration of John’s Life will immediately follow at 12:00 P.M.
The family requests that memorial contributions be given to the Gardner-McMaster Parkinson Center or the Northwest Ohio Parkinson’s Foundation. Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.grisierfh.com. Edgar-Grisier Funeral Home in Wauseon has been entrusted with arrangements.
