Obituary of Janet Whitaker

Our loved one, Janet Carolyn Morris Whitaker, passed away on January 16, 2017 in her Tucson home with her son, Brian, and daughter, Carol, by her side. She was born on August 17, 1929 in Norman Oklahoma. She attended Norman High school and the University of Oklahoma where she was active in the Baptist Student Union and graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Home Economics. She married Gerald Whitaker in 1952 and in 1956 they moved to Tucson, Arizona where their children, Brian and Carol, were born and raised. She was married for 19 years. She was and still is a steadfast and faithful follower and child of God. She exemplified being Christlike in her gentle and thoughtful ways towards everyone she met. She was a long time member of Christ Church United Methodist. For years she enjoyed working alongside her friends at Helping Hands and with the United Methodist Women's group. Jan loved recycling greeting cards. She collected used cards and then spent hours creatively making new cards to sell at church to raise money for the United Methodist Women's Mission projects. At some point you may have purchased or received one of her cards. She was a Librarians' assistant with Tucson Unified School District for 20 years. She sang with the Tucson Civic Chorus for 3 years and then helped form the group called The Music Makers and sang with this group for 27 years. These ladies met weekly and formed lifelong friendships. Jan was preceded in death by her parents Clemmontyne and Franklin Morris, brother Tom Morris, Sister Celia Phillips and husband Raymond, grandson Clinton Whitaker, mother and father-in-law Claude and Edith Whitaker, sister-in-law Claudine Murphy and husband John and many other family members and loved ones. (And Jan would want to mention her old school mate James Garner) She is survived by her son Brian Whitaker, and his wife, Niki, her daughter, Carol, and her husband Jeffrey, grandson Blair Whitaker, granddaughters Katie and Cheyenne Quintana Whitaker and her great grandson Jasper Quintana Whitaker, nieces Joan Phillips and Kimberly Williams, nephews Gary Phillips, David Phillips, Greg Morris, Brad Murphy, sister-in-law Loretta Morris and sister-in-law Rosemary Whitaker, former husband Gerald (Gerry) Whitaker and his wife and friend to Jan, Liz Whitaker and many other family members and loved ones. Jan, our mother, will be remembered for her kind words, gentle presence, her smile, laughter, playful nature, funny faces, since of humor and spunk, her love of God, her compassion for those in need, and her Christian way of living. She loved her home, her little car, road trips, playing scrabble, watching Hallmark movies, staying in touch and emailing, concerts in the park, chocolate, striped rocks and nature. She said the Catalina Mountains gave her strength. Most of all she will be remembered for her unwavering passion for and commitment to her family and friends. God Bless her sweet soul. May you feel her presence and the love she has for each and every one of you. All donations will be divided between Tucson's children's shelter, Casa de los Niños and Christ Church United Methodist choir.