Jimmy Wayne Whittington

Jimmy Wayne Whittington (Jim or Whit) was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on June 17, 1939 to Melvin and Virginia Whittington. He has two younger brothers, Darrell Whittington, deceased, (wife, Maryann Sparks Whittington) and Mel Whittington (wife, Pat Frank Whittington.) Jim attended and graduated from Shawnee High School in 1957. While in high school, he received several basketball honors including: Honorable Mention All-American, All Mid-State Conference Team; set the scoring record in Ada's gym where he tied the state scoring record with 33 points and only played 3 quarters; he led the Mid-State Conference in scoring average and the team won the conference championship. In baseball, Jim made All-State, playing six innings as an outfielder and pitched three innings; he led the Mid-State conference in earned-runs-allowed and strikeouts as pitcher; received 87 scholarship offers from colleges; received offers to sign professional baseball contracts from the Brooklyn Dodgers, the New York Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals; he received an offer from Oklahoma State University to play football; he selected Oklahoma University's scholarship to play basketball and baseball and then transferred to Oklahoma Baptist University the next year where he played both basketball and baseball. Jim married Donna Shubert in 1961. He has three children: Tracey Whittington Jones and her husband Darren Jones of Porter, Oklahoma, Chris Whittington, deceased, and Richard Whittington of McAlester, Oklahoma. He has five grandchildren: Elisabeth Jones, Jennifer Miliger, Ryan Rike, Jordon Whittington, Chase Whittington, Jacob Neilson, Alicia Whittington and many great-grandchildren. In 1975, Jim married Sherre Cantwell. Sherre is and was a wonderful wife. Jim stated this many times and in many ways to his friend and family. He also loved his brothers very much. Jim was an administrator in secondary schools in Oklahoma City and was known in the school system as the one man to have on staff to establish respect from the students for the rules of the school. Students respected his as well. He retired in 1991. Jim and Sherre moved to Southport - a community on the shore of Lake Eufaula in 1993. He was known to be an honest, friendly and giving man and the best fisherman in Southport. Jim and Sherre are members of the First Baptist Church in Eufaula and attended as they could until Jim's health issues prevented it. His health issues multiplied in the last 10+ years, yet, Jim maintained his many friendships that appreciated and respected him. Jim died on May 31, 2021. The loss was big for everyone who knew him.