Jacqueline Whittaker Obituary

Jacqueline Whittaker
July 31, 1927 - June 12, 2022
Rock Hill, South Carolina - Jacqueline Margaret "Jackie" Byrd Whittaker born on July 31, 1927 went peacefully home to be with her family in heaven on June 12, 2022. She was born at home in McComas, West Virginia and the family moved to Bishop, Virginia when she was small. She graduated from Tazewell High School in Tazewell, Virginia.
Jackie spent a lot of her childhood years at her grandparents' estate in the Roanoke Valley in Virginia where they owned and operated a large apple farm. They also owned and operated numerous apple orchards throughout Virginia' s Shenendoah Valley. Her grandfather Goodwin operated multiple coal mines in West Virginia and Virginia.
Following her graduation from high school Jackie attended Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia which was the women's college of the University of Virginia. Wanting to be closer to home she enrolled in Concord College in Athens, West Virginia. It's there that she met her life partner, Stanley R. Whittaker. They were married at her parents' home in Bishop, Virginia.
The newlyweds moved to Rock Hill, South Carolina in 1948 where Stan was helping open the new Celanese plant and Jackie worked as the assistant to the plant president.
When their children Kathy Melin, William Russell and Ronald Blake began arriving Jackie left her job with Celanese to be a stay at home mom.
When the children got a little older Jackie started her second career in the Rock Hill school district where she taught history, sociology and typing. She also worked on her master's degree at Winthrop University. Her brother, Hank Byrd, a retired colonel in the United States Air Force, moved back to Rock Hill and they taught together starting on the same day and retiring together on the same day thirty years later.
Most of Jackie's adult life was spent with her husband and children on weekends at their cabin on Lake Wylie, South Carolina.
Jackie was preceded in death by her parents, Ursula Binks Goodwin Byrd and William Clarence " Bill" Byrd descended from the Byrds of Virginia, one of the oldest and most influential families of Virginia dating back to the 1600s. She was also preceded in death by her husband of more than fifty years, Stanley, her brother Hank Byrd of Tega Cay, South Carolina, one son, Ronald Blake of Rock Hill and special son-in-law, John Grice of Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Left to cherish her life are daughter, Kathy Melin Whittaker Grice, son William Russell "Bill" Whittaker and wife Pat of Princeton, West Virginia. Grandchildren Carrie Broom Cole and great granddaughter Lucy of Fort Mill, Michael Tyler Broom and Heather of Charlotte, North Carolina, Jenna Caroline Broom Deane and husband, Matt of Charlotte, Christian Casey Whittaker, wife Ashton and great granddaughter Ava Grace of Lake Wylie, South Carolina, Regan Leigh Whittaker Bailey, husband Kyle and great granddaughters Leah and Emma of Rock Hill and special daughter-in-law Tammy Templeton of Rock Hill.
A private graveside service will be held in the near future.
A special thank you goes to Susan and Frankie Greene of Greene Funeral Home who were both students of Mrs. Whittaker at Rock Hill High School.