Jack Allen Whittaker, 88, died peacefully on Friday, August 30th, 2024.
He was born on February 22, 1936, in Norwalk Ohio, to Betty and Ray Whittaker. He grew up in Bowling Green Ohio, a place he loved, and graduated from Bowling Green High School in 1954 and recently attended his 70th class reunion one month ago.
He was forever a proud Bobcat.
After high school, Jack spent one year at Manlius Military Prep School to further his education and participate in sports. Jack went on to serve as a Captain in the United States Army. He graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree and went on to earn his D.D.S. at The Ohio State University, focusing on Pediatric Dentistry.
Jack dedicated his life to caring for children, both in his professional practice and in his personal life. As a pediatric dentist, he was known not only for his exceptional skill and knowledge, but also for his gentle touch, patience, and ability to put his young patients at ease. His office was a place of comfort and safety for countless children over the years, where he made what could be a frightening experience into something positive and even fun.
Jack was deeply committed to his community, often volunteering his time with youth sports, including Bowling Green Youth Baseball and starting the 4-7 year old T-ball program. Jack was one of the founding members of the Bowling Green Youth Hockey program that began in the 1960s, in which most of his children participated, sometimes having Dad as their coach. He went on to coach hockey for 4 decades.
Doctor Jack, Whitt, Coach Jack, and Doc were some of the names he was affectionately called by just about everyone in BG. He was immensely loved and respected for the tireless hours he spent helping people. Going the extra mile, whether it be additional hours coaching, dentistry for the migrant children that arrived every summer, or buying and dropping off Christmas presents to less fortunate families, was simply what he did. He was a tireless champion of children on Medicaid, was appointed to Ohio’s Medical Advisory Committee and campaigned at the state level to get them the care he knew was their right. At The Medical College of Ohio, Jack taught his Dental Residents operating room procedures for patients with special needs. He performed surgery on children and disabled adults who many other professionals deemed too “high risk.”
For his efforts, Jack was nominated by Quintessence International Dental Journal as “Moral Exemplar in Dentistry.” On September 30th, 2001, The Jack Whittaker Home for adults with developmental disabilities was dedicated by the residents through Wood Lane Special Needs Services. Jack was awarded the 2007 Outstanding Citizens Award by the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce for his lifelong commitment to community service. Caring for those who couldn’t find care was just one of his passions.
Beyond his professional achievements, Jack enjoyed his family and took great pride in the accomplishments of his children. He seemed to manage to be in 5 places at once, going to all their games, plays, music performances, and competitions. His children could always count on Dad to show up. They knew his distinctive whistle, and his positive shouts from the stands or the bench of “ That’s the way to hustle!” always brought a smile and a wonderful feeling of support. He was notoriously silly and would bite his kids’ fingers when he asked for a taste of their candy bar, ending up gobbling the whole thing.
“Whitt was a great playmate,” says his wife Cindy. They spent time skiing, rollerblading, jet skiing at Put-N-Bay, playing tennis, scuba diving, and enjoying their family and many friendships. Many will remember him as incredibly handsome, an amazing athlete, and an incredible dancer. Watching him jitterbug with his sister Dona Rae, or his daughter Betsy was awe-inspiring. He played catcher at his beloved NY Yankees fantasy camp, where he got to meet real team members and show off his exceptional athleticism. He played piano and sang one song to perfection. It was “Scotch and Soda” by The Kingston Trio.
A hero to so many, that it is impossible to list all of his accomplishments, awards, board memberships, and accolades. His lifetime of service to his community and beyond is well documented, and he probably did much more without recognition or reward. He was very lucky in life to have known how much he meant to people because they told him so often. His warmth, kindness, and dedication to those he loved will be deeply missed.
Jack is survived by his wife of 44 years, Cindy Whittaker, his children James Whittaker (Cathy), Jack C. Whittaker, Joan Whittaker, Betsy DeWitt (Dan), and Nicholas Idczak Whittaker (Erin). His eight grandchildren, Jessica, Kelsey, Nick, Jacob, Grant, Keri, Nash, and Riggs, and one great-grandson, Justin.
He is preceded in death by his father and mother, Ray and Betty Whittaker, and his sister Dona Rae Vogel.
We will celebrate Jack’s life on Sunday, September 15th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at The Bowling Green Country Club, 923 Fairview Ave., Bowling Green, OH 43402. Come and join old BG friends and tell stories.
We have many “thank you’s” for Bowling Green. Whitt would want people to support Bowling Green in any way possible. It starts with the Wood County Commission on Aging with their programs and support groups for Alzheimer’s. Wood County Hospital for their care when Whitt had a stroke and more recently when he was hospitalized for many days. This brings us to Bridge Hospice and BG Manor with their skilled medical care and genuine compassion. All of these valuable resources supplied care that we couldn’t provide, but desperately needed. They all deserve our gratitude and support. And finally, at the end of it all was Tim Dunn and his son Tyler who escorted Jack out of BG Manor. It felt like a perfect ending, having a familiar face and friend transport Whitt on. Thank you Dunns Funeral Home.
