GREENVILLE – Forrest Giles Whitman, 94, died peacefully Feb. 22, 2012, at Charles A. Dean Hospital, Greenville, with his family by his side. He was born Jan. 3, 1918, in Auburn, a son of Burton and Zella (Giles) Whitman.
He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, and worked as a supervisor for Scott Paper Co. for many years, retiring in the early 1980s. In 1960, he and his wife, Lola, moved to Greenville, and owned and operated a business at Moosehead Stitchery, which also included a Montgomery Ward outlet. He was a longtime member of Moosehead Kiwanis Club and Union Evangelical Church. He had a deep passion for C.A. Dean Hospital. He was a past board chairman of the hospital and at the time of his death was serving as an honorary board member. After retirement from Scott Paper, he spent a great deal of time surveying the land in the north woods.
He is survived by a daughter, Vivian and husband, Charles Lee, of Hopkinsville, Ky., and their children, Steffanie and husband, Doug Wagner, of Park City, Utah, and Jeremy Lee of Nashville, Tenn.; son, Burton Whitman and wife, Patty, of Greenville, and their children, Amber Whitman, David and his girlfriend, Britney Sincyr, and son, Kyle, all of Greenville; as well as a number of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Aurora “Lola” (Martinez) Whitman.
Family and friends will be invited to a small gathering to be announced at a later date. Burial will be at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Auburn. Gifts in his memory may be made to C.A. Dean Hospital or Union Evangelical Church, both of Greenville. Arrangements by Crosby & Neal, Greenville. For an online guest register, go to
www.CrosbyNeal.com.