Husband of Charlsie Isabelle Johnson Whatley 1917-2001; father of Eleanor Jeanne Whatley Baldwin, & Samuel Dorsey Whatley Jr. 1945-1970.
In 1996, SAM D. WHATLEY won the St. Joseph's Hospital Most Valuable Senior
Player-"Play it Again" Award, which was presented during a gala event at SwissHotel, Atlanta, GA. The nomination read as follows:
"Sam D. Whatley has been an avid sports competitor his entire life, ranging from youthful tennis tournaments to golf competitions during his long business career, to his beloved tennis after retirement in 1980. This, along with family concerns, gardening and involvement in his church, are his main interests.
"He was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Stage II in September 1992. His disease was caught by Dr. James D. Kiley during a routine physical x-ray. Sam had two biopsies (the first one was unsatisfactory) in order to confirm the diagnosis; then he experienced 24 days of radiation treatments, which left him fatigued and fearful his sports days were over. Regardless, he worked out a regime of indoor exercise to rebuild strength, and by spring 1995 was once again playing tournament tennis. Subsequent examinations by Dr. Janet Galleshaw, Oncologist, have been negative."
---------------
For Marietta Daily Journal -WHATLEY - Contact: Baldwin 770-973-0030
Samuel D. Whatley
1915-2000
A service celebrating the life of Samuel Dorsey Whatley, 85, beloved husband and father, will be held on March 21 at 2:30 at Mayes Ward Dobbins Funeral Home, Marietta, GA. He passed peacefully from this earth on Saturday, March 18, 2000 at Tranquility Hospice following a courageous battle against recurrent Lymphoma, his wife and daughter at his side.
Sam Whatley is survived by his devoted wife of over 62 years, Isabelle Johnson Whatley; daughter and son-in-law Jeanne W. and Douglas G. Baldwin of Marietta; granddaughter Shelley Scott Garrett of Atlanta; brother and sister-in-law Vachel D. and Margie C. Whatley of Lithonia; sisters, Thelma Beasley of Miami and Daisye Hulsey of Covington, in-laws George W. and Evelyn S. Johnson of Roswell and Mrs. Paul W. (Eleanor) Eldredge of Baton Rouge, LA; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Samuel D. Whatley, Jr., on May 21, 1970.
Sam Whatley was born January 30, 1915, to Vachel D. Whatley and Lizzie Ola Lowe Whatley, both of LaGrange and later residents of College Park, GA.. Themselves children of Georgia pioneers, they were parents of eight children, of which Sam was next-to-youngest. He was a life-long tennis player, financing his early play by carrying a paper route for the old GEORGIAN newspaper and winning an expenses-paid trip to the 1933 Chicago World's Fair for his excellent sales record. A 1934 graduate of Atlanta's Commercial High School, where he wrote a newspaper column, Sam took his business skills, athleticism and manly good looks - and in the depths of the depression - landed a job with Phillip Morris Co. Later he went with Atlantic Coast Line and began his long career in the railroad industry.
In 1938 he married Charlsie Isabelle Johnson, his teenage sweetheart, whose parents' home had been the last call on his West End paper route. He volunteered for the U.S. Navy although he had family deferral, and served two years during World War II. Upon discharge in 1946, Sam moved his growing family into a new brick home and enjoyed the suburban dream, along with increasing responsibilities in his career, by this time with Southern Pacific Railroad. He was promoted and transferred first to Louisville, KY, then to Washington, D.C., and from there to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was named regional sales manager and lived until 1980, when after 32 years with Southern Pacific, he and Isabelle returned to enjoy retirement in Marietta, GA.
In 1981 Sam expanded his interest in tennis, to the extent of giving away his golf clubs, though he'd belonged to both Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati and Kenwood Club in Washington, D.C. Sam and Isabelle made friends in square dancing circles and joined Peachtree Squares.
Sam had been baptized in 1948 at Kirkwood Baptist Church in Atlanta; in turn he belonged to and served as deacon at Highland Park Baptist in Louisville; in Washington, Wisconsin Avenue Baptist and in Cincinnati, Green Hills Baptist, until 1980, when Sam and Isabelle joined First Baptist Church of Marietta.
Sam was given the Play It Again Award in 1996 by Saint Joseph's Hospital, honoring him as a senior athlete who overcame illness to participate once more in sports. After a 1992 bout of Lymphoma and a strenuous regime of radiation treatments, he rebounded to rank #3 in GA Tennis Association-Men age 70 singles. Sam also pursued his hobbies of historical and biographical reading, along with gardening, woodwork and calligraphy.
The family will receive friends on March 21, at 1:30 at Mays Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home, followed by a memorial service at 2:30 at the same location, conducted by Dr. I. B. Hall and Rev. Greg DeLoach. After cremation, interment at the family plot at Westview Cemetery will follow at a later date. Honorary pallbearers will be Bill, Philip and Jeffrey Johnson, Walter and Michael Eldredge and Roy Smith. Any memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society-Cobb unit. Arrangements by Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home, 180 Church Street, Marietta, 770-428-1511.
Sam Whatley left a legacy of family, hard work and personal strength of character. Today he is surely with Sammy, Papa and Mom sitting in the presence of the Lord. (end)
A Celebration of the Life of Samuel Dorsey Whatley
January 30, 1915 - March 18, 2000
I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing. Second Timothy 4:7-8
The Order of Worship for the Memorial Service
March 21, 2000, 2:30 p.m.
Prelude Beverly Johnson
Invocation Rev. C. Gregory DeLoach
I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Solo Hymn - In the Garden - Philip Johnson
Scripture John 14:1-6; 16-18; 26-27 Rev. DeLoach
The Twenty-Third Psalm led by Dr. I. B. Hall
Pastoral Prayer and Responsive Reading
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
(Together) Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive others
who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power
and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13.
Hymn Amazing Grace Mr. Johnson
Benediction Rev. DeLoach
The Lord Bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us,
and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and
give us peace,this day and evermore. Amen.
Postlude Mrs. Johnson
Friends are invited to fellowship following the service at Jeanne and Doug Baldwin's home, 2400 Carrington Way, S.E., Marietta.
Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
that we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name,
speak to me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone,
wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Pray, smile, think of me, pray for me . . .
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you,
for an interval, somewhere very near,
just around the corner.
All is well.
- Henry Scott Holland
In 1996, SAM D. WHATLEY won the St. Joseph's Hospital Most Valuable Senior
Player-"Play it Again" Award, which was presented during a gala event at SwissHotel, Atlanta, GA. The nomination read as follows:
"Sam D. Whatley has been an avid sports competitor his entire life, ranging from youthful tennis tournaments to golf competitions during his long business career, to his beloved tennis after retirement in 1980. This, along with family concerns, gardening and involvement in his church, are his main interests.
"He was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Stage II in September 1992. His disease was caught by Dr. James D. Kiley during a routine physical x-ray. Sam had two biopsies (the first one was unsatisfactory) in order to confirm the diagnosis; then he experienced 24 days of radiation treatments, which left him fatigued and fearful his sports days were over. Regardless, he worked out a regime of indoor exercise to rebuild strength, and by spring 1995 was once again playing tournament tennis. Subsequent examinations by Dr. Janet Galleshaw, Oncologist, have been negative."
---------------
For Marietta Daily Journal -WHATLEY - Contact: Baldwin 770-973-0030
Samuel D. Whatley
1915-2000
A service celebrating the life of Samuel Dorsey Whatley, 85, beloved husband and father, will be held on March 21 at 2:30 at Mayes Ward Dobbins Funeral Home, Marietta, GA. He passed peacefully from this earth on Saturday, March 18, 2000 at Tranquility Hospice following a courageous battle against recurrent Lymphoma, his wife and daughter at his side.
Sam Whatley is survived by his devoted wife of over 62 years, Isabelle Johnson Whatley; daughter and son-in-law Jeanne W. and Douglas G. Baldwin of Marietta; granddaughter Shelley Scott Garrett of Atlanta; brother and sister-in-law Vachel D. and Margie C. Whatley of Lithonia; sisters, Thelma Beasley of Miami and Daisye Hulsey of Covington, in-laws George W. and Evelyn S. Johnson of Roswell and Mrs. Paul W. (Eleanor) Eldredge of Baton Rouge, LA; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Samuel D. Whatley, Jr., on May 21, 1970.
Sam Whatley was born January 30, 1915, to Vachel D. Whatley and Lizzie Ola Lowe Whatley, both of LaGrange and later residents of College Park, GA.. Themselves children of Georgia pioneers, they were parents of eight children, of which Sam was next-to-youngest. He was a life-long tennis player, financing his early play by carrying a paper route for the old GEORGIAN newspaper and winning an expenses-paid trip to the 1933 Chicago World's Fair for his excellent sales record. A 1934 graduate of Atlanta's Commercial High School, where he wrote a newspaper column, Sam took his business skills, athleticism and manly good looks - and in the depths of the depression - landed a job with Phillip Morris Co. Later he went with Atlantic Coast Line and began his long career in the railroad industry.
In 1938 he married Charlsie Isabelle Johnson, his teenage sweetheart, whose parents' home had been the last call on his West End paper route. He volunteered for the U.S. Navy although he had family deferral, and served two years during World War II. Upon discharge in 1946, Sam moved his growing family into a new brick home and enjoyed the suburban dream, along with increasing responsibilities in his career, by this time with Southern Pacific Railroad. He was promoted and transferred first to Louisville, KY, then to Washington, D.C., and from there to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was named regional sales manager and lived until 1980, when after 32 years with Southern Pacific, he and Isabelle returned to enjoy retirement in Marietta, GA.
In 1981 Sam expanded his interest in tennis, to the extent of giving away his golf clubs, though he'd belonged to both Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati and Kenwood Club in Washington, D.C. Sam and Isabelle made friends in square dancing circles and joined Peachtree Squares.
Sam had been baptized in 1948 at Kirkwood Baptist Church in Atlanta; in turn he belonged to and served as deacon at Highland Park Baptist in Louisville; in Washington, Wisconsin Avenue Baptist and in Cincinnati, Green Hills Baptist, until 1980, when Sam and Isabelle joined First Baptist Church of Marietta.
Sam was given the Play It Again Award in 1996 by Saint Joseph's Hospital, honoring him as a senior athlete who overcame illness to participate once more in sports. After a 1992 bout of Lymphoma and a strenuous regime of radiation treatments, he rebounded to rank #3 in GA Tennis Association-Men age 70 singles. Sam also pursued his hobbies of historical and biographical reading, along with gardening, woodwork and calligraphy.
The family will receive friends on March 21, at 1:30 at Mays Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home, followed by a memorial service at 2:30 at the same location, conducted by Dr. I. B. Hall and Rev. Greg DeLoach. After cremation, interment at the family plot at Westview Cemetery will follow at a later date. Honorary pallbearers will be Bill, Philip and Jeffrey Johnson, Walter and Michael Eldredge and Roy Smith. Any memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society-Cobb unit. Arrangements by Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home, 180 Church Street, Marietta, 770-428-1511.
Sam Whatley left a legacy of family, hard work and personal strength of character. Today he is surely with Sammy, Papa and Mom sitting in the presence of the Lord. (end)
A Celebration of the Life of Samuel Dorsey Whatley
January 30, 1915 - March 18, 2000
I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing. Second Timothy 4:7-8
The Order of Worship for the Memorial Service
March 21, 2000, 2:30 p.m.
Prelude Beverly Johnson
Invocation Rev. C. Gregory DeLoach
I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Solo Hymn - In the Garden - Philip Johnson
Scripture John 14:1-6; 16-18; 26-27 Rev. DeLoach
The Twenty-Third Psalm led by Dr. I. B. Hall
Pastoral Prayer and Responsive Reading
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
(Together) Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive others
who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power
and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13.
Hymn Amazing Grace Mr. Johnson
Benediction Rev. DeLoach
The Lord Bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us,
and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and
give us peace,this day and evermore. Amen.
Postlude Mrs. Johnson
Friends are invited to fellowship following the service at Jeanne and Doug Baldwin's home, 2400 Carrington Way, S.E., Marietta.
Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
that we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name,
speak to me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone,
wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Pray, smile, think of me, pray for me . . .
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you,
for an interval, somewhere very near,
just around the corner.
All is well.
- Henry Scott Holland
Husband of Charlsie Isabelle Johnson Whatley 1917-2001; father of Eleanor Jeanne Whatley Baldwin, & Samuel Dorsey Whatley Jr. 1945-1970.
In 1996, SAM D. WHATLEY won the St. Joseph's Hospital Most Valuable Senior
Player-"Play it Again" Award, which was presented during a gala event at SwissHotel, Atlanta, GA. The nomination read as follows:
"Sam D. Whatley has been an avid sports competitor his entire life, ranging from youthful tennis tournaments to golf competitions during his long business career, to his beloved tennis after retirement in 1980. This, along with family concerns, gardening and involvement in his church, are his main interests.
"He was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Stage II in September 1992. His disease was caught by Dr. James D. Kiley during a routine physical x-ray. Sam had two biopsies (the first one was unsatisfactory) in order to confirm the diagnosis; then he experienced 24 days of radiation treatments, which left him fatigued and fearful his sports days were over. Regardless, he worked out a regime of indoor exercise to rebuild strength, and by spring 1995 was once again playing tournament tennis. Subsequent examinations by Dr. Janet Galleshaw, Oncologist, have been negative."
---------------
For Marietta Daily Journal -WHATLEY - Contact: Baldwin 770-973-0030
Samuel D. Whatley
1915-2000
A service celebrating the life of Samuel Dorsey Whatley, 85, beloved husband and father, will be held on March 21 at 2:30 at Mayes Ward Dobbins Funeral Home, Marietta, GA. He passed peacefully from this earth on Saturday, March 18, 2000 at Tranquility Hospice following a courageous battle against recurrent Lymphoma, his wife and daughter at his side.
Sam Whatley is survived by his devoted wife of over 62 years, Isabelle Johnson Whatley; daughter and son-in-law Jeanne W. and Douglas G. Baldwin of Marietta; granddaughter Shelley Scott Garrett of Atlanta; brother and sister-in-law Vachel D. and Margie C. Whatley of Lithonia; sisters, Thelma Beasley of Miami and Daisye Hulsey of Covington, in-laws George W. and Evelyn S. Johnson of Roswell and Mrs. Paul W. (Eleanor) Eldredge of Baton Rouge, LA; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Samuel D. Whatley, Jr., on May 21, 1970.
Sam Whatley was born January 30, 1915, to Vachel D. Whatley and Lizzie Ola Lowe Whatley, both of LaGrange and later residents of College Park, GA.. Themselves children of Georgia pioneers, they were parents of eight children, of which Sam was next-to-youngest. He was a life-long tennis player, financing his early play by carrying a paper route for the old GEORGIAN newspaper and winning an expenses-paid trip to the 1933 Chicago World's Fair for his excellent sales record. A 1934 graduate of Atlanta's Commercial High School, where he wrote a newspaper column, Sam took his business skills, athleticism and manly good looks - and in the depths of the depression - landed a job with Phillip Morris Co. Later he went with Atlantic Coast Line and began his long career in the railroad industry.
In 1938 he married Charlsie Isabelle Johnson, his teenage sweetheart, whose parents' home had been the last call on his West End paper route. He volunteered for the U.S. Navy although he had family deferral, and served two years during World War II. Upon discharge in 1946, Sam moved his growing family into a new brick home and enjoyed the suburban dream, along with increasing responsibilities in his career, by this time with Southern Pacific Railroad. He was promoted and transferred first to Louisville, KY, then to Washington, D.C., and from there to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was named regional sales manager and lived until 1980, when after 32 years with Southern Pacific, he and Isabelle returned to enjoy retirement in Marietta, GA.
In 1981 Sam expanded his interest in tennis, to the extent of giving away his golf clubs, though he'd belonged to both Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati and Kenwood Club in Washington, D.C. Sam and Isabelle made friends in square dancing circles and joined Peachtree Squares.
Sam had been baptized in 1948 at Kirkwood Baptist Church in Atlanta; in turn he belonged to and served as deacon at Highland Park Baptist in Louisville; in Washington, Wisconsin Avenue Baptist and in Cincinnati, Green Hills Baptist, until 1980, when Sam and Isabelle joined First Baptist Church of Marietta.
Sam was given the Play It Again Award in 1996 by Saint Joseph's Hospital, honoring him as a senior athlete who overcame illness to participate once more in sports. After a 1992 bout of Lymphoma and a strenuous regime of radiation treatments, he rebounded to rank #3 in GA Tennis Association-Men age 70 singles. Sam also pursued his hobbies of historical and biographical reading, along with gardening, woodwork and calligraphy.
The family will receive friends on March 21, at 1:30 at Mays Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home, followed by a memorial service at 2:30 at the same location, conducted by Dr. I. B. Hall and Rev. Greg DeLoach. After cremation, interment at the family plot at Westview Cemetery will follow at a later date. Honorary pallbearers will be Bill, Philip and Jeffrey Johnson, Walter and Michael Eldredge and Roy Smith. Any memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society-Cobb unit. Arrangements by Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home, 180 Church Street, Marietta, 770-428-1511.
Sam Whatley left a legacy of family, hard work and personal strength of character. Today he is surely with Sammy, Papa and Mom sitting in the presence of the Lord. (end)
A Celebration of the Life of Samuel Dorsey Whatley
January 30, 1915 - March 18, 2000
I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing. Second Timothy 4:7-8
The Order of Worship for the Memorial Service
March 21, 2000, 2:30 p.m.
Prelude Beverly Johnson
Invocation Rev. C. Gregory DeLoach
I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Solo Hymn - In the Garden - Philip Johnson
Scripture John 14:1-6; 16-18; 26-27 Rev. DeLoach
The Twenty-Third Psalm led by Dr. I. B. Hall
Pastoral Prayer and Responsive Reading
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
(Together) Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive others
who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power
and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13.
Hymn Amazing Grace Mr. Johnson
Benediction Rev. DeLoach
The Lord Bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us,
and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and
give us peace,this day and evermore. Amen.
Postlude Mrs. Johnson
Friends are invited to fellowship following the service at Jeanne and Doug Baldwin's home, 2400 Carrington Way, S.E., Marietta.
Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
that we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name,
speak to me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone,
wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Pray, smile, think of me, pray for me . . .
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you,
for an interval, somewhere very near,
just around the corner.
All is well.
- Henry Scott Holland
In 1996, SAM D. WHATLEY won the St. Joseph's Hospital Most Valuable Senior
Player-"Play it Again" Award, which was presented during a gala event at SwissHotel, Atlanta, GA. The nomination read as follows:
"Sam D. Whatley has been an avid sports competitor his entire life, ranging from youthful tennis tournaments to golf competitions during his long business career, to his beloved tennis after retirement in 1980. This, along with family concerns, gardening and involvement in his church, are his main interests.
"He was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Stage II in September 1992. His disease was caught by Dr. James D. Kiley during a routine physical x-ray. Sam had two biopsies (the first one was unsatisfactory) in order to confirm the diagnosis; then he experienced 24 days of radiation treatments, which left him fatigued and fearful his sports days were over. Regardless, he worked out a regime of indoor exercise to rebuild strength, and by spring 1995 was once again playing tournament tennis. Subsequent examinations by Dr. Janet Galleshaw, Oncologist, have been negative."
---------------
For Marietta Daily Journal -WHATLEY - Contact: Baldwin 770-973-0030
Samuel D. Whatley
1915-2000
A service celebrating the life of Samuel Dorsey Whatley, 85, beloved husband and father, will be held on March 21 at 2:30 at Mayes Ward Dobbins Funeral Home, Marietta, GA. He passed peacefully from this earth on Saturday, March 18, 2000 at Tranquility Hospice following a courageous battle against recurrent Lymphoma, his wife and daughter at his side.
Sam Whatley is survived by his devoted wife of over 62 years, Isabelle Johnson Whatley; daughter and son-in-law Jeanne W. and Douglas G. Baldwin of Marietta; granddaughter Shelley Scott Garrett of Atlanta; brother and sister-in-law Vachel D. and Margie C. Whatley of Lithonia; sisters, Thelma Beasley of Miami and Daisye Hulsey of Covington, in-laws George W. and Evelyn S. Johnson of Roswell and Mrs. Paul W. (Eleanor) Eldredge of Baton Rouge, LA; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Samuel D. Whatley, Jr., on May 21, 1970.
Sam Whatley was born January 30, 1915, to Vachel D. Whatley and Lizzie Ola Lowe Whatley, both of LaGrange and later residents of College Park, GA.. Themselves children of Georgia pioneers, they were parents of eight children, of which Sam was next-to-youngest. He was a life-long tennis player, financing his early play by carrying a paper route for the old GEORGIAN newspaper and winning an expenses-paid trip to the 1933 Chicago World's Fair for his excellent sales record. A 1934 graduate of Atlanta's Commercial High School, where he wrote a newspaper column, Sam took his business skills, athleticism and manly good looks - and in the depths of the depression - landed a job with Phillip Morris Co. Later he went with Atlantic Coast Line and began his long career in the railroad industry.
In 1938 he married Charlsie Isabelle Johnson, his teenage sweetheart, whose parents' home had been the last call on his West End paper route. He volunteered for the U.S. Navy although he had family deferral, and served two years during World War II. Upon discharge in 1946, Sam moved his growing family into a new brick home and enjoyed the suburban dream, along with increasing responsibilities in his career, by this time with Southern Pacific Railroad. He was promoted and transferred first to Louisville, KY, then to Washington, D.C., and from there to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was named regional sales manager and lived until 1980, when after 32 years with Southern Pacific, he and Isabelle returned to enjoy retirement in Marietta, GA.
In 1981 Sam expanded his interest in tennis, to the extent of giving away his golf clubs, though he'd belonged to both Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati and Kenwood Club in Washington, D.C. Sam and Isabelle made friends in square dancing circles and joined Peachtree Squares.
Sam had been baptized in 1948 at Kirkwood Baptist Church in Atlanta; in turn he belonged to and served as deacon at Highland Park Baptist in Louisville; in Washington, Wisconsin Avenue Baptist and in Cincinnati, Green Hills Baptist, until 1980, when Sam and Isabelle joined First Baptist Church of Marietta.
Sam was given the Play It Again Award in 1996 by Saint Joseph's Hospital, honoring him as a senior athlete who overcame illness to participate once more in sports. After a 1992 bout of Lymphoma and a strenuous regime of radiation treatments, he rebounded to rank #3 in GA Tennis Association-Men age 70 singles. Sam also pursued his hobbies of historical and biographical reading, along with gardening, woodwork and calligraphy.
The family will receive friends on March 21, at 1:30 at Mays Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home, followed by a memorial service at 2:30 at the same location, conducted by Dr. I. B. Hall and Rev. Greg DeLoach. After cremation, interment at the family plot at Westview Cemetery will follow at a later date. Honorary pallbearers will be Bill, Philip and Jeffrey Johnson, Walter and Michael Eldredge and Roy Smith. Any memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society-Cobb unit. Arrangements by Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home, 180 Church Street, Marietta, 770-428-1511.
Sam Whatley left a legacy of family, hard work and personal strength of character. Today he is surely with Sammy, Papa and Mom sitting in the presence of the Lord. (end)
A Celebration of the Life of Samuel Dorsey Whatley
January 30, 1915 - March 18, 2000
I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing. Second Timothy 4:7-8
The Order of Worship for the Memorial Service
March 21, 2000, 2:30 p.m.
Prelude Beverly Johnson
Invocation Rev. C. Gregory DeLoach
I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Solo Hymn - In the Garden - Philip Johnson
Scripture John 14:1-6; 16-18; 26-27 Rev. DeLoach
The Twenty-Third Psalm led by Dr. I. B. Hall
Pastoral Prayer and Responsive Reading
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
(Together) Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive others
who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power
and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13.
Hymn Amazing Grace Mr. Johnson
Benediction Rev. DeLoach
The Lord Bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us,
and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and
give us peace,this day and evermore. Amen.
Postlude Mrs. Johnson
Friends are invited to fellowship following the service at Jeanne and Doug Baldwin's home, 2400 Carrington Way, S.E., Marietta.
Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
that we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name,
speak to me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone,
wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Pray, smile, think of me, pray for me . . .
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you,
for an interval, somewhere very near,
just around the corner.
All is well.
- Henry Scott Holland
Gravesite Details
Bronze marker embossed with pine branches.
Family Members
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