William Whitaker (1915 - 2002)

Born 5 Jan 1915 in Battleboro, North Carolina, USA

Biography

Obituary: William B. "Benny" Whitaker, a resident of Rio Rancho, passed away at home on July 5, 2002. Benny was born on Jan. 5, 1915, to George W. and Esther Cozart Whitaker in Battleboro, N. C. He was a long time resident of New York prior to coming to Rio Rancho in 1976. Benny was proud to have served his country in the United States Army during World War II and earned several medals, including the American Service Medal, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, Medal of Good Conduct and the WWII Victory Medal. He retired from the Army Reserve after over 30 years of faithful service in 1974 as Sergeant First Class. He went on to retire from the New York Sanitation Department. He was very fond of and enjoyed working on automobiles and was an excellent mechanic. He was also a member of the American Legion Post 118. Benny was a very devoted husband and father and will be dearly missed by all of his family and friends. He is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Mary, of Rio Rancho; his daughter, Patty, and husband John of Los Lunas; sisters Bessie, Frances, Edith, Ethel and Marie; brother Alvin; many nieces, nephews and a host of very special friends. Graveside services for Benny were held on Tuesday, July 9, 2002, at 1 p.m. at Santa Fe National Cemetery with military honors being provided. Services under the care of Sunrise Funeral Options, 2400 Southern Blvd., Rio Rancho NM.

Sources

• July 09, 2002 - Rio Rancho Observer