Dr. Edward L. Whigham

Dr. Edward L. Whigham of Marietta, Georgia, (age 94) passed away on July 4, 2016. Betty, his wife of 68 years, predeceased him in January 2016. A Memorial Service to celebrate his life will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Marietta on Friday, July 15th at 2 PM. An interment service will be held at 10:00 am at the Georgia National Cemetery, Canton, GA. Edward is survived by his three children: Elizabeth Fletcher and husband Bruce of Richmond, VA; Edward L. Whigham. Jr., of Marietta; and David Whigham and his wife Nancy, of Jacksonville, FL; and four grandchildren: Brian Glasgow, Kimberly Whigham Quenga, J.D. Whigham and Andrew Whigham, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews. Ed, as he was known to his friends and family, was an active member of many Presbyterian Church congregations, most recently First Presbyterian Church of Marietta, Georgia since 1997, where he attended the Chapel Sunday School class. Ed was a graduate of Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He was awarded a Master of Arts degree from the University of Georgia, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from New York University. Ed was a veteran of World War II, where he proudly served in the invasion of Europe with the 367th Fighter Group. After the war, Ed went into public school administration. During his career he held positions with a number of school systems, most notably the following: · 1954 to 1962 – Assistant School Superintendent, Wilmington, Delaware. · 1962 to 1965 – Superintendent of Schools, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. · 1965 to 1976 – Superintendent of Schools, Dade County, (Miami) Florida In 1976, after his retirement from Dade County, Ed went to The University of Alabama at Birmingham as a Professor of Educational Administration in their graduate school from 1977 to 1987. While here, he helped to develop their doctoral program in Educational Leadership. In 1997, the Dr. Edward L. Whigham Elementary School was opened in Cutler Bay, Florida, in recognition of his contribution to the Dade County school system. During his long career, Ed mentored many others who went on to become school administrators around the country. He was a longtime member of the American Association of School Administrators. In 1994, he received the Distinguished Service Award from that organization. Ed participated in many other civic and community organizations and charities. He left the world a better place than he found it. Above all, Ed was a loving husband to his wife Betty and a caring and loving father and grandfather. His family misses him greatly, but feel privileged to have had such a wonderful father, grandfather and role model. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Thornwell Home for Children, 302 S. Broad Street, Clinton, SC 29325.

Dr. Edward L. Whigham

September 11, 1921 - July 4, 2016