Sfc Ret. Roy L. Whittaker

SFC Ret. Roy L. Whittaker, 91, of Columbus, GA, passed away on December 14, 2022 at home and under the care of Columbus Hospice of Georgia and Alabama.

A graveside service will be held 11:00 AM Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at Evergreen Cemetery, 4500 St. Mary's Rd. Columbus, GA. The family will receive friends from 5:00-7:00 PM Tuesday, December 20, 2022 at McMullen Funeral Home and Crematory, 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907.

Roy was born October 18, 1931 in Donaldsonville, GA Seminole County to the late Mr. Ray Whittaker and Mrs. Lois (Glisson) Whittaker.  Both of his parents passed away at the young ages of 30 and 27 respectively. In 1951, he joined the US Army and after basic training was stationed to the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea and was deployed in the Korean War. After the Korean Conflict, he was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division in Honshu Prefecture in Japan. During his 3 year assignment he met and married Kimiko Ikeno while in Japan and in 1956 returned to the US with his wife and newborn daughter and was assigned to Fort Dix, N.J. He was then assigned to Fort Knox, KY., and in 1960 he was assigned to Fort Benning, GA.  He was later assigned to Berlin, Germany for 2 years and then returned to Fort Benning. He was also assigned to 2 tours of Vietnam. The first deployment was with the 82nd Airborne Division in 1968-1969 and the second deployment in 1971.  He retired from the US Army in January 1973 after 22 years of active duty service.

After his retirement from the military, he joined his wife in the Tailoring business, supporting military customers, stationed at Fort Benning, GA, during their Infantry training or different qualification schools at Fort Benning. This included Airborne Jump School, NCO Leadership Schools, U.S. Army Ranger Training Brigade to name only a few.  They both managed multiple locations for the Tailoring Concession until 1978, when they opened K.W. Tailor Shop and Military Supply outside the old Main Gate of Fort Benning for over 30 years until their retirement in 2010.

Mr. Whittaker was also a long time member of over 50 years of Rose Hill Masonic Lodge #484 in Columbus, Ga.  He also remained an active member of the Korean War Veterans Alliance.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Kim Whittaker, daughter, Mary Jean Hernandez of Columbus, son, Elroy Whittaker of Columbus, grandson, Justin Harris (Jennifer), great-grandaughter, Ashleigh of Paducah, KY, special cousins, Mrs. Julie Nowell, David Nowell, Karen (Nowell) Lorini (Matteo), and their children, David and Emily, Mrs. Donnie Nowell and their children, Joy, Jill and Jay.