Virgil Ward Whitaker

July 17, 2019

Virgil Ward Whitaker, age 89, of Ewing, Missouri died on July

9, 2019 in Blessing Hospital.

Virgil was born January 24, 1930 in Akron, Iowa, the son of Basil and

Sybil McCorkel Whitaker. He married Letha Lisenbee on December 8, 1951

in Bermuda.

Virgil enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1947 and retired from the

United States Air Force in 1967, serving during both the Korean Conflict

and Vietnam War. During his career, Virgil was a flight engineer and

logged well over 10,000 flight hours. He loved flying and was involved

in military air transport giving him the opportunity to fly all over the

world. When he was stationed in Bermuda, he participated in search and

rescue operations in a Boeing B29 Superfortress.

After retiring from the Air Force, Virgil and Letha lived in Charleston,

South Carolina where they owned and operated a mobile home moving

company as well as several mobile home parks. In 1976, they moved back

to Lewis County, Missouri, and Virgil was employed at E.M. Chatten

Implement and several car dealerships including Jappy Dickson and Buford

Ward Chevrolet.

Survivors in addition to his wife, Letha, include three children, Gary

(Karen) Whitaker and Dana Mihal, both of Ewing, Mo., and Karen (Ronald)

Truluck of Knoxville, Tenn.; seven grandchildren, Phillip (Paula) Whitaker,

Andrea (Adam) Kleinschmidt, Amy Whitaker, Kevin (Alyssa) Truluck, Jaime

Truluck, Justin (Tracy) Truluck, and Grace Mihal; eight

great-grandchildren, Alina, Audric, and Anabel, Oliver and Liam, Judah,

and Shawnee and Tyler; eight brothers and sisters, Madeline Trpkosh,

Cliff (Betty) Whitaker, Danny Whitaker, Johnny Whitaker, Lavern

Whitaker, Delane Whitaker, Betty Thrasher, and Victoria Williams-Fisher;

three great-great grandchildren, Kadance, Sawyer, and Brooke; and

numerous nieces and nephews.

Virgil was preceded in death by his parents and nine brothers and sisters.

Services were held July 12, 2019 at the Hansen-Spear Funeral Home with Pastor Shawn Whitaker officiating. Visitation was held prior to services.

Burial was at the Ewing Cemetery, Ewing, Missouri

Memorials: Ewing Memorial Cemetery

Hansen-Spear Funeral Directors are in charge of the arrangements.