Dr. JC Whitaker

Dr. J C Whitaker (Jake) passed away on Sunday, January 21 in Midland, TX. He was born in Santa Anna, TX on April 23, 1931 to Jess M. Whitaker and Audrey Mayes Whitaker. The family will receive guests from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday, January 26, 2018 at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home. Memorial services will be held at First Baptist Church, Midland on Saturday, January 27 at 10:00 a.m.He was preceded in death by his grandparents and parents. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Dr. Charlotte Whitaker; his three children: son Brad of Midland; son Keith and wife Loretta of Dallas; and daughter Kimberly Whitaker Rhoads and husband Randy of Houston; six grandchildren: Courtney Rhoads Alkek  and husband Travis of Brisbane, Australia; Lecia Whitaker Bruton and husband Larry of Fort Worth; Jay Brad Whitaker, Jr. and fiancée Hillary Harrelson of Denver, Colorado; Cameron Rhoads of Austin; Caroline Rhoads of San Francisco, CA; Timothy Whitaker of Dallas; great grandchildren: Leighton Alkek of Brisbane, Australia; Luke Bruton of Fort Worth; very special cousin Louise Whitaker Dickerson of Midland, TX; and his “Sunday Family”: Doris and Don McSparran, Wanda Ramsey, Peggy Ramsey; Red and Juandelle Roberts; Rhonda Lacy; and Fuffy Green.After graduation from Anson, TX High School, Jake attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, where he earned a B. S. degree in Chemistry. He was a loyal alumni serving on various boards at HSU. In 1999 he received the honor of being presented the John J. Keeter alumni service award.Jake and Charlotte met in Dallas when he was a student at Baylor College of Dentistry and she was a Baylor University Nursing student.  Following his graduation he entered the U.S. Air Force where he was a captain and stationed at Walker Air Force Base in Roswell, NM as part of the Strategic Air Command.  He and Charlotte married in Shreveport, LA on Dec. 23, 1955.After completing two years in the military, the Whitakers moved to Midland, TX and he established a dental practice there. For thirty-two years, he shared an office with Dr. Richard Klempnauer and Dr. Reed Collins.He loved the practice of dentistry, and especially the relationship with his patients. He was known to whistle and sing while he worked. In 1991 he suffered a major heart attack, which forced him into an early retirement.  After 5 years of rehabilitation, which included emu ranching, he decided he missed his patients and went back to work. He worked several years with Dr. Mark Hughen, and then completed his years of dentistry working with Dr. David Orr. In 1996 he was awarded Life Membership in the Texas Dental Association.Jake and Charlotte loved to travel. They went on international mission trips with First Baptist groups, as well as Odessa College Choir tours, and visited family abroad. One of the items on his “bucket list” was a trip down the Amazon, which he took with his son-in-law, Randy. He saw the things he had read about in National Geographic come to life. This was certainly one of the highlights of his life.Jake was a scuba diver, skier, hunter, and all-around sports fan! He was a supporter and fan of Texas Tech, where he attended many games, as well as Baylor sports teams. He enjoyed the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. He was known to have as many as three TVs in separate rooms (loud volume) each tuned to a different sports station.Jake had a genuine zeal and enthusiasm for life. He counted every day as a gift from God. Anyone who ever met him knew that his strong Christian faith was the driving force in his life. Jake was a member of First Baptist Church since 1957. He taught the Fisherman Sunday school class for 43 years and served as a deacon.His faith was the most important thing in his life, and in his passing, he received the final reward for his faithfulness. He loved to attend Sunday School and church services. A special treat he looked forward to each week was his Monday attendance at the Brotherhood meeting. He enjoyed telling “stories” of his fond memories growing up in Anson. He loved his family and spending time with them. He looked forward to holidays when everyone was here.The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Michael Miller and his staff at Permian Cardiology for their loving care of Jake over these many years.Memorial contributions may be sent to: Hardin-Simmons University –HSU Advancement office, Box 16100, Abilene, TX 79698 or connect.hsutx.edu/donate;  Gideons International, P.O. Box 11153, Midland, TX 79702; First Baptist Church Music Ministry, Attn: Finance Office, 2104 W. Louisiana, Midland, TX 79701.Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.,