Wesley A. Whitten

In Loving Memory of Wesley A. Whitten

It is with deep sadness we announce the passing of Wesley A. Whitten, a beloved father, cherished friend, and respected community member. Wesley peacefully fell asleep in Jesus on the 14th of August 2023, leaving behind a legacy of perseverance, courage, kindness, and unwavering faith. He was 90 years old.

Born on the 17th of November 1932, to Hallie Tressie Spraggins and W.C. Whitten, Wes is second of seven children. Helen Jenkins (1930-2013), Wes (1932-2023), L.J. Whitten (1935-), Betty Matheny (1937-), Paul Whitten (1940-), Lloyd Whitten (1942-2020), and Kenneth Whitten (1944-). Wes was born in a small town in Parish County, Louisiana.

Initially, Wes was raised in a one room home with his parents and siblings during the height of the depression years and shortly thereafter, the rationing years of WW2. He was especially bonded to his older sister, Helen Jenkins, who faithfully watched over him until he was old enough to fend for himself.

As a child, he remembers living near Army barracks and rationing of staple food commodities and even gasoline to spare enough resources to sustain war efforts on several continents. Even though he grew up poor, he and his siblings had plenty of fun. As adults, when all the boys were together the topic of conversation would invariably go back to working on old cars, a memorable hammer or tool, a trip they took to see their sister Helen, who lived in New Mexico (reminiscent of John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath storyline). The siblings would excitedly recall the antics of securing an old swimming hole and how they would first muddy the water enough so as any lurking snakes would surface, then they would hit and kill it with a stick, making the swimming hole safe to use.

Out of necessity, Wes was emancipated at a young age to work and provide for his needs as well as the needs of his family. He worked as a carpenter, cotton picker, well digger, and many other grueling manual labor jobs.

His adventurous spirit led him to pursue a life dedicated to serving his country and community. As a young man, he answered the call of duty and bravely served in the United States Army, defending the freedoms we hold dear. He trained as an Army medic at Fort Sam Houston and subsequently worked in several military hospitals in California – Fort Ord in Monterey and Camp Cook in Lompoc. Medic work was a good match for Wes as he enrolled as a conscientious objector due to his dearly held religious beliefs. His work in the Army was just the beginning of many contributions to ensuring the safety of this country.

Following his honorable service in the military, Wes used his GI bill and pursued his passion for innovation and problem-solving, earning a B.S. in mechanical engineering from LA Polytechnic Institute at Ruston, LA. He also spent a year at Union College, studying math and physics with John Perryman, a near lifelong friend).

He went on to earn a degree in Mechanical Engineering from SMU in Dallas, Texas, Specializing in Aeronautical Engineering. Wes propelled his career into the skies, contributing significantly to many projects and technological advancements in the aviation industry. His first job after getting his masters was for LTV in Grand Prairie. During his early years, his work included the Navy plane the F8U-3, space propulsion methods, the B-52 airplane compartment cooling and an anti-icing system for leading edges and the windshield as well as an insect and bug removal systems.

Wes briefly left his work at LTV and spent time working in Borger, Texas working at a carbon black company where he reveled in upgrading and making changes to their system. He monitored temperatures, pressure and flow recorders and controllers, furnaces, duct work, structures fans, conveyors, dryers, piping, design and drafting, cost estimating, field supervision and a fair bit of getting covered from his head to his toes with carbon black. During his time in Borger, Texas, Wes met his future wife.

On 11 June 1961, four months and five days after meeting a lovely young lady, Wesley married Jean Evelyn Culpepper. They raised two children and were married 48 years until his wife died in 2009. They lived a full and adventure-filled life, living in various places around the United States related external work contracts. They briefly lived in Detroit, Michigan where Wes worked for a chemical company. During his tenure at LTV, Wes worked on the North American Aviation Radiator Development Program. He designed several of the Apollos’ radiators. He also worked on programs to predict temperature control for several missile systems. In 1971, Wes worked on the SKYLAB radiator and on a cryogenic cooling system for the TRAP/MATS aircraft. Wes really enjoyed working on the thermal tiles for the Space Shuttle where he was involved in field testing the temperature tolerance of the leading-edge tiles on the nosecone and the wings. Another exciting job, requiring top secret clearance, was Wes’ highly classified work on the B-1 where he did thermal analysis and testing support as well as working on nuclear hardness. He later worked on the S-3AEW navy aircraft program and LTVs Aerospatiale Helicopter Program. These jobs took Wes and Evelyn to Southern California where Dad worked for Northrup, and then on to Everett and Renton, Washington where he worked on the 767 for Boeing. Later they spent time in Burbank, California and in the early 1990s he spent time in Marietta, GA working at Lockheed Martin.

Wes retired from LTV in 1993 to care for his wife Evelyn, but after several years, LTV recruited him back and he unpacked the same boxes he had packed several years earlier and carried on. They had never been able to replace him. On the last day when he finally retired from LTV, he received a call from Bell Helicopter. After a short-lived weekend of retirement, he went to work for Bell Helicopter on the following Monday on their V-22 aircraft. After working for Bell for 2.5 years, his job ended and three days later, he was back to work for LTV on thermal control for the Space Station components. This work continued until May 1998. He thought he was retired for good, but in October of 2000, Vought called again and Wes was assigned to work on the anti-icing system for the Gulfstream GIV-X. He worked on this project until 2002. At this time, Wes and Evelyn frequently traveled to the west coast to visit their children, both living in California. After his wife died in 2009, Wes traveled to Zimbabwe, where he helped build 34 classrooms for a church-sponsored school. He thought he had finally retired, but once again, Bell Helicopter called him back to work in 2011, where he worked part time until 2012.

Even in retirement, Wes was never idle. He remarried in 2011 and he and his second wife, Alyce Muhs, went on numerous Maranatha trips to build, restore and repair buildings and infrastructure at schools, churches, academies, youth camps, etc., going on 18 trips over a nine-year period.

In 2019, Wes, his daughter and a physician friend began work on a patent application for a small electronic device, known as the venom desensitizer. Wes added several significant modifications to a previous patent and in 2022, received a new patent on the device. He had several previous patents through his work, but this was his first independent patent.

In 2020, Wes’ younger brother Lloyd died. Wes and Lloyd had been nearly inseparable for more than five decades. They both lived in Arlington, attended the same church, played games on Saturday nights, spent almost every Sunday together at the swap meat, together worked on cars, repaired dump trucks, buses, and anything that had a combustion engine. Lloyd’s death devastated Wes. Wes’ life story seemed to end with Lloyd’s death. A few years later at the age of 88, his second wife moved him to Tennessee. Wes never quite recovered from Lloyd’s death and then moving away from where he had lived and thrived for 70 years – Arlington Texas.

Wes was a good and faithful husband, professional engineer, brother, father, son, uncle, nephew church elder and deacon, greeter, and philanthropist. He and his wife Evelyn, financially supported many causes over the decades and helped many people in distress. Their religion was practical. On a personal level, Wes was never concerned with appearances. He was content wearing the oldest and most outdated suits and shoes to church because he never wanted to be better dressed than the poorest person at the Arlington SDA church. He respected his upbringing and wanted to demonstrate solidarity with the less fortunate. He frequently put his Christianity to work in providing teenage boys with cars requiring repair. He would buy the car and on weekends, he would work with the young men to get the car running and then hand them the title and keys. For at least a decade, he repaired school buses and vans after getting home from a long day at the office. He never shied away from hard physical work, especially when it involved repairing a car. Upon finding out that the rubber boot on his daughter’s car in Southern California (1,400 miles from Arlington, TX) had broken down Wes spoke with his boss the next day about whether or not he was needed in California. Sure enough, the next day, he took a tool box on a plane to Los Angeles and spent a day removing the engine, repairing the boot, and putting everything back together in a dorm parking lot in the rain. The next few days he spent at Northrup and then back to Arlington, Texas.

Yet, beyond his professional achievements, Wesley will be remembered for the profound impact he made within his community. Known for his warm and inviting smile, he dedicated many years as a greeter at the Arlington Seventh-Day Adventist Church, welcoming everyone with open arms and spreading joy among the congregation.

When he wasn’t offering words of comfort or sharing his infectious laughter, Wesley indulged in his love for Blue Bell Vanilla Bean ice cream, a personal favorite that reminded him of simple pleasures and sweet memories shared with loved ones.

Wesley’s devotion to service extended to his final resting place. A burial service, befitting his military service and his contributions to society, will be held at the hallowed grounds of the Dallas/Fort Worth National Cemetery. Friends, family, and community members will gather to honor and celebrate his remarkable life, paying tribute to his selflessness, resilience, and unwavering commitment to his beliefs.

Wesley A. Whitten may have departed from our lives, but his spirit will forever reside in our hearts. He leaves behind a daughter, Crystal Whitten, PhD, and a son, Keith Whitten, MD, who have both been a source of immense pride and joy in his life. He also leaves behind his second wife, Alyce Muhs, residing in McDonald, TN.

As we mourn the loss of an extraordinary individual, let us remember the lessons he taught us through his unwavering love, service, and faith. May Wesley’s memory inspire us all to live each day with purpose, kindness, and gratitude.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Arlington Seventh-Day Adventist Church in honor of Wesley’s enduring spirit of compassion and community.

Wesley A. Whitten, your laughter, wisdom, and unwavering spirit will forever be missed, but never forgotten. Wesley is now resting from his labors and waiting for the return of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall arise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so, shall we ever be with the Lord.