John Whitman Obituary

John,
Thanks for popping into one my dreams this week. I remember you told me, regarding dreams, "It's good to see old friends". Miss you.

I think about you often.

My Friend,

I think about you a lot.

Love, Dave

Miss you John!!

10 years. It's actually been 10 years since you left us. Feels like yesterday. I only realize time has flown by when I look at your beautiful daughter and see how big she is, that she is larger than life. I thank God every day for sending you to me and passing through my life. You have given me two wonderful boys, who are now men, and an incredible daughter. That is why you came into my life. To gift me with these children.
We all miss you every day.

John
Its been eight years since you died and we all still miss you and your mother so much. All seems well around here but it is not the same without you. Love you and miss you.

Dad

Well the guys went out to the cemetary on the 25th. As usual they had a few brewskies and left the empties at the cemetary. When I went out there the next morning the cemetary workers had it all cleaned up. They are a bunch of killjoys. I love you and miss you and your mother.

dad

It has been five years since you past away and it doesn't seem that long. We all miss you and your mother very much. A group of us were at Jeffery's house on the 25th - Lisa, Brad, Bob and Janine, Dave and Mindy, Kathy and Jim, me and Peggy Brennan - Tom's wife - Tom died in 2008 - we also had all my grandkids except Kaitlin who is away at school. We had a good time but it would have been so much better and funnier if you were there. On the 26th the guys went to the cemetary as they always do around the anniversary of your passing. I know they were there because of the empty beer bottles and cans that they left there. I know your mother is as happy about it as you are. She alway loved to hear the stories about you and all your buddies.

As always I love and miss you and your mother.

dad

Five years to the day since you went out of the world. Not a day goes by that I don't miss my uncle john. You were always the life of the party and the tales that are told of you still are. Jack, Grant, and Grace are getting so old. Jack and Grant look just like you, so much so that it's getting scary. Everyone is doing good, even though we all miss you and always will. I know one day we will all see you again, but you'll have to wait a little while with grandma. We won't be meeting up for a long time. I love you and I miss you. You'll be in our hearts forever.

~Anna

We are so lucky to of had you in our lives. We are now blessed with an "in" when it comes our turn to meet the big man upstairs. (Bob Rady may need it) I know this because God would not have asked Mr. Whitman to share his son, Lisa to share her husband and best friend and Jack, Grant,and Grace to share their Daddy with him. God saw the greatness in John and needed that greatness in Heaven to make it an even better place. Now when we meet up with John again he will still have the title of great friend but also an upper management title as well. maybe V.P. of Operations, or C.O.O. . No better yet CEOH, not Chief excutive office, but rather Chief Entertainmetn Officer of Heaven. Thank you Mr. Whitman, Lisa, Jack, Grant and Grace for shareing your daddy with God so that Heaven is an even greater place. Jack, Grant, and Grace - always remember that your Dad is watching over you and God keeps an extra eye on you too because of what you have given to God.

I miss you John and good fishing

Jeff

John

It has now been four years since you died. Things seem to get a little easier as time passes but not very much. I still have all the memories of our fun times together but they don't compare to being with you. I did take the boys to North Shore Lodge last year and they enjoyed themselves. We are looking forward to this year's trip in June, again with Wayne as our guide.

I miss and love both you and your mother.

Dad

John

Today is the third anniversary of your passing. I think of all the things we did together - playing softball, fishing at North Shore Lodge in Canada, our plan to take the boys fishing - now I am taking them to North Shore this year because I think they are old enough and also I am not getting any younger. Wayne will be our guide as usual. I hope the boys will come back with a lot of Wayne stories like we used to do.

I miss you and your mother so much.

Dad

Well today is the second anniversary of John's death. This past year has again brought a huge disruption to our family. John's mother past away September 5th, 2007. We are all trying to come to grips with the situation but it is extremely difficult because she was the linchpin of the whole extended family. As I said before, John wasn't without his faults, but he had a magical quality about him that more than made up for his faults. John, I love you and your mother and many others do
also.
I pray that you and the "The Bummer" are together in heaven
Dad

John, I miss you

Lisa, not a day goes by where i don't think of him and what he would do on a call that i am on! We all miss him! We love you

Well today is the first anniversary of John's death. I will admit that it is a little easier to deal with his passing, but only a little. I don't cry a much as a used to but it doesn't take much to get me going. Hearing one of his favorite songs, looking at pictures of our fishing trips, standing by his grave in the rain or snow or on a bright sunshiny day with the train whistle blowing in the distance. As I said before, John wasn't without his faults, but he had a magical quality about him that more than made up for his faults. Your mother and I love you and so do so many others. I don't want to start naming names because this entry would be way to long and I know I would forget a few people who definitely should be on the list and I don't want to take the chance of hurting someone's feelings. I will take a stab at making a list in another entry.

Your dad

John is my son. He was by no means without faults but he had a unique ability to, as Linda Hancock (Guerrero) said in her Guestbook entry, to light up a room just by walking in and flashing that smile of his. I always felt that way about him but that is not something a father tells his son. He had a fantastic sense of humor, as do all of his close buddies. They will help keep his memory alive for us with tales of their adventures on their fishing or camping trips in Wisconsin when they were in high school. When they would get together at parties they would reminisce about these things but always hold back the most shocking details. As they got older they would tell a little more about these adventures but would still hold back certain details so as not to shock his mother too much. What they don’t know is that his mother and I live for those story telling times.



I always felt that I was a pretty good father to John and Kathy, but watching him with Jack, Grant and Gracie made me feel totally inadequate. He was always there for his kids.



At the funeral luncheon, Lisa and I went from table to table asking his friends to come up with things that John used to say. We have compiled the list below. Some are so very familiar to me that I can hear him saying them and others I had never heard before. For better or worse, here they are.



JOHN'S SAYINGS



Are you kidding me?



Recycling is for the weak.



Who called Mike?



Did somebody call Mike?



Wake me for Jeopardy.



Rehab is for quitters.



Rock me and rock me 2 times.



It’s the wind down. There’s no work during the wind down.



We have a situation. It could turn into an incident.



Goin’ for coffee



Don’t let my confidence be confused with arrogance.



Take it easy, take it easy.



I’m just sayin’.



How do you get a drink around here?



Gimme’ three steps.



Turn the page.



Eagles fly every day



Sweet!



Excellent!

Dear Bobby, Bunny and family, We were so sorry to learn of the death of your son. We are praying for your comfort and peace. Our love, Norma Wilson and Lynn Germon

Lisa, There are no words to say. Please know that all of my thoughts are with you and the kids.

I am John's niece, and on Friday, February 24th I went to his house to baby sit his one and a half year old daughter. My uncle and cousin came home around 9:30 from a basket ball game, and he said hello, got ready to go out with his friends, came in and said goodbye. After I made sure my cousin was in bed "no later than 10:00" according to Uncle John, I went to the couch to fall asleep. At about quarter to six the following morning, I was called upstairs by my aunt, Lisa, who as a matter of fact sounded no different than any other day. Not yet knowing what had happened, I said I'd be right there, got my pajamas stuck in the foot-rest of the chair, and finally made my way up. When I got to the top I called for Lisa to see where she was, and by then I could hear that her voice was shaking. I walked in; she told me that she believed he was having a heart attack. So she called 911, explained the situation, and handed the phone over to me. I took the phone, picked up the baby, and to my amazement, I was able to calmly explain both what was happening and what Lisa should try to do. After the doctors made the final call, and everyone knew, I went up to the computer room at my aunt and uncle’s house to do homework, and instead found myself writing the following, spur of the moment letter to my uncle, which I titled It All Seems To Late.





Dear Uncle John,

I’m sorry I never really said goodbye, and that I didn’t give you a hug or a kiss before you left that night. I didn’t even say I love you. I saw you lying there and though I didn’t really believe it I knew you were gone. Lisa couldn’t get a pulse no matter how hard she tried, and the paramedics were without success. I loved you so much; no matter what happened, you were always there, even if you were trying to give a koosh-ball animal to the bishop at the time. I may have said some things at one point or another, and if I hurt you I am sorry. Auntie Melissa called, and I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid that she didn’t know. They are all still at the hospital now: Mom, Grandma, Papa, and Lisa. I have Jackson and Grace and Daddy is here now too. I was so scared but I didn’t cry; I just talked to the man on 911. You would have been proud. I held Grace as I talked on the phone, and watched Lisa give you CPR. It must have been so hard for her.



I could tell she was shaking. She tried for your pulse and listened for your heart, but nothing worked. Mom came to take Lisa to the Hospital and Dad came to your house. I told no one to go upstairs, but Grace went up and Jamie followed. She saw your room, and didn’t say a word; she just stood there for a few moments, shook it off, and went back to playing with Grace. This was before we knew you weren’t here anymore.



Dad and I hugged and cried when the kids went to play in the basement. Mom came home and we did the same. It is so hard for everyone, and we’ve all been crying; Grace is too young to understand. Everyone in this house right now loved you so much you probably can’t even imagine. I love you, and I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye, but now it all seems too late.



Love,

Kaitlin







I could add so much more to this letter now that it has been almost a week. I still, however, cannot quite remember if I gave him a hug or a kiss, or said I love you. Unfortunately, that last conversation is the fuzzy part of this whole ordeal. And even though it doesn’t feel like I helped Lisa at all that morning, I do know, somewhere inside, that it was helpful just to be there. Everyone reading this should know, that Lisa’s strength that morning (even if it was through shock) is what enabled me to react the way I did. The strength I showed is the strength she showed, and nothing more.

I am John's uncle. I have been away from my family for a long time and only saw John a few times as an adult. John was only ten years younger than I am. The families were close so I spent a lot of time with him when he was growing up. In thinking about him as an adult the impression that comes to me is that he was the same good person that he was as a child. That with all the differences that adulthood brings there was something fundamental in him that had not changed. I have a lot of memories of John but that impression keeps coming back to me. When I got Bob's message it was like a hole had been blown through me. All day at work yesterday I kept thinking about John. Northwest Coast Indians and other traditional peoples believe that a person who heals himself and lives as he should heals people in his family for seven generations in the past and seven generations in the future. When I think of John in this light I believe that he must of healed a lot of people in many generations. Of course no words can take away the pain of loss or even affect it if the loss is great. Monks believed that no monastery was really established until one of the monks had died and gone to heaven. Then the monastery existed in heaven and on earth. I think that something like that may be true with families. If we can work through the pain and allow ourselves to be healed we may discover that the person who seems to be gone is not so far away and that the relationship continues. We can continue to heal that person and that person can continue to heal us. And in time all will be well. I believe that this will be true for John and this family.

Kathy, Jim & family -

My deepest sympathies to you and your family. John had the ability to lighten up a room just by walking in and flashing that wonderful smile of his. To this day whenever I hear a Bob Seger or Lynyrd Skynyrd song, memories of "the guys" singing those songs come flooding back and it always makes me smile. He will be missed by everyone whose life he touched.

Dear Bob,Bunny and your dear family, I would have been there if I could have found a way. I read the notice late Monday night and thought I'll have to send this to Norma,because you don't see many Whitman's. Then noticed the L. Remember so well when you were here for your Grandma Ellen's and my Mom's birthday's when Kathy said " you can'remember Kathy but you remember John Lincoln?, " as I was introducing them to others.I have been copying pictures of family to send, now they seem so insignificant. I will call Norma. Nothing will take the pain away. I am so sorry for you and the family. Bunny, I love the names of your grandchildren. I hope you have the same address. Please remember how much you mean to our family. I will pray for all of your dear ones. Gail

Our deepest sympathy to all of you. You have lost a wonderful young man, that loved life and brought a smile and a laugh to all who knew him. My thoughts and prayers are for all of you. I remember John being at our house often when he was in high school - the good old days. We are all feeling your pain, but are better for having known John.

Ken & Carolyn Sherman

(parents of Mike Sherman)

Melissa and sons

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time.

Melissa,Jackson and Grant,



Please except my sympathy at this time. Remembering John, he was such a very kind,gentle and thoughtful person. I know he was a fantastic father to his children and was always there when needed for anyone. I have been thinking of him all weekend and so saddened by his sudden death. If there was anything I could do for your family at this time, I would. My prayers will be with you. Love AuntKathy

Lisa and the Whitman family

I was truly sad to hear of John passing. He was a great guy and fun to work with. Jeopardy will never be the same.

Dear Whitman Family:

I am so deeply sorry to hear of your tragic loss. Please know that you are not alone in your grief and that many friends and loved ones are holding up your family in their thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely, Marlene Nowotarski

Lisa & Family,



You are in are thoughts during this difficult time. There are no words that can truly make any sense out of this, just know that everyone around you cares about you and the family.



Rich, Amanda, Ethan & our angel Colin

Kathy and family,

I am so sorry to hear about John's sudden passing. Though he did not work here that long, I only have fond memories of him. He could always make us laugh. I was just going through "RAC" pictures a few days ago and came across pictures of John. I had given him the camera to take pictures of the staff and when the film came back, half of the pictures were of John! I gave him such a hard time about that. I know that everyone that knows John will have an empty place in their heart. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.

Now I haven't played the Doobie Brothers' Blackwater on the guitar in years. Don't even know if I could remember to play it if asked. There was a time though when I played it often. And my friend would be there, with quite possibly the worst singing voice ever heard, singing, or rather, shouting right along with me... Thank you for inspiring me to play all those years ago... Thank you for welcoming me to your family... Thank you for being such a fantastic Uncle to my Children... You will always remain in our hearts and minds.

Dear Mr and Mrs Whitman,

I know it sure has been along time since we were all high school, but those memories will never leave. My heart felt sympathy goes out to you and your family. As one of the baseball managers, the one game I missed, and was talked about all the time was when Scott and John hit back to back homeruns. May those memories live in your hearts forever.

Dear Lisa and Family,



We were all sorry to here of your loss. Love and prayers to you and your family.

The Duda Family

Lisa and The Whitman Family,



I am so very sorry for your loss. John was a wonderful person and will be sorely missed. He was a pleasure to work with on 4ICU. Our family will keep all of you in our prayers.

Please except our sympathy- The Trombino Family

Melissa and sons, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. My prayers and thoughts are with you.



Alex R.N.

(St. James Hosp.)

My condolences to the Whitman family. I went to nursing school with John and I have fond memories of him. My heart goes out to his family.

Dale Jones just sent us the bad news. Saw your folks on Christmas and they were very happy with your family and the grandchild. We talked with Ray Lehner. Our deepest condolences. Ron and Karen

My deepest sympathies, of course, plus a story I would like to share about myself and John and the adventures we had at a golf tournament that our families have run in Wisconsin Dells since 1976. I am John's cousin ....





For far too long, I have neglected my golf game, which is not a good thing when you've got a tournament to help run. You like to at least pretend that you care. But it always was great fun to play with John at our Ho-Chunk Canyon Classic. Here were two guys who had no business complaining about bad shots. Often, sitting in the cart, trading notes, we'd learn that neither of us had played more than one round before this all-important event. And, of course, without fail, we would be vowing by tournament's end that next year would be different, that we'd be back next year to storm the course, instead of attacking it like kids with toy guns.



It was fun to dream, at least.



The Saturday rounds always were a strange combination of tension and relaxation. Tension because, as the final group to tee off, we would drive up to the first par three to find groups on the tee. Relaxation because, in the belief that Sunday was the day that the rust would come off and strokes would be saved, we could spend our Saturday afternoons waving down the beer cart. John always drank light beer. I liked to think that it was a “game face” type of thing.



I wish now that I could say that we shared some deep and wonderful thoughts between shots. But we didn’t. We were there to play golf, or to at least make the best of it. I would get philosophical about the “mind game” aspect of golf, and inevitably blow a two-foot putt. I knew it’d happen as I settled over the ball. That was the part of my “mind game” that John didn’t know about, or that he at least was kind enough not to mention.



John was a streaky player. He would have a run of good holes, and I wouldn’t even realize it until I saw the 4’s and the 5’s strung together on the card. There would be no mistaking it, however, when things went bad. Among my favorite moments were when he would be off of the green, or he would have a long putt, and he’d lag it up nice and close, ready to turn around his run of bad holes. Then he'd rush the putt, and miss the short one. “John,” he’d say out loud, kind of dragging it out. Another favorite line would come as a ball went straight for the weeds, or he would suffer some injustice due to the crazy design of those Dells courses.



"Are you kidding me?" he'd say.



Last year's event was a tournament to remember. I hit an insane approach shot over a tree on the 11th hole, a stroke that was all the more amazing because I had told John how I was going to do it. Then, of course, I missed the short birdie putt. Didn't come close. John had an excellent round on Sunday, breaking 90 on the second day, just like we have it mapped out on day one. And, as you might guess, that weekend led to yet another promise by the both us that we would be prepared to slay Coldwater Canyon in 2006.



Now, I am feeling a bit sheepish at this point for going on and on about what I did and what I felt. But, like I say, we were there to play; we never really opened up. But as a music obsessive, I do remember John mentioning a few years ago how much he loved the “Pet Sounds” album, a comment that stuck in my memory because up until that point we’d always discussed Lynyrd Skynyrd or a Southern rock show he saw in a bar in which the band brought stage gear loud enough and powerful enough for an arena. Last year, I mentioned to him how much I liked a Chicago band called the Redwalls. This year, I was looking forward to talking with him about Western films. I'd always meant to dig into the subject of why he had that picture of John Wayne in his bedroom while growing up. And, man, what I wouldn't give to be able to talk to him again about the joy of seeing "Shogun Assassin" on a Thanksgiving with our dads.



What I will remember most, however, about our times together, are the Sunday morning rounds. The grass would be damp with dew, the sun would be too bright on that 1st fairway, yet we were on top of the world because we had the whole place to ourselves. You couldn’t beat the feeling - I looked forward to that round with him more than any other golf outing during the year. But even for a guy like me who loves early-morning rounds alone, being with John was what made it so special, and here is why:



Coldwater Canyon, like Dell View Golf Course, has a couple holes that you won’t find anywhere else today - holes that had quirks due to the eras in which the courses were built. The owners made the best of what they had, or what their horses could plow. At Dell View, the oddity was that 8th hole over the canyon. At Coldwater, it was the 5th green and the 6th tee box behind it, a sight that exemplifies the old Dells for me.



John hated the 5th green. It sloped sharply, and it always seemed as if he were on either side of the cup, as opposed to immediately below the hole, where you wanted to be because the putts then are uphill and straight. Instead, he would have a wicked bender of a putt. It’d slide past the hole, and by the time it stopped rolling, he probably would be 10 feet from the cup. “Are you kidding me?” he'd say as the ball kept rolling.



Perhaps it was the difficulty of the 5th green that added to the allure of the 6th tee? The pleasure certainly has nothing to do with the way the hole is laid out. Hugging the fairway along the left side is the canyon and thick trees. Even if you can avoid them, you still face a bit of an adventure because of the way the fairway tilts to the right. Hit the ball straight and it is like hitting a baseball down the right-field line, only the right-field line consists of trees. It’s one of those weird old-school golf holes you see only in the Dells.



Without ever saying it to John, being on that tee box was the best of the Dells experience for me these days. You had the beautiful scenery, one-of-a-kind holes and, yes, the love of a family. Standing there, getting ready to hit, surrounded by trees to the left and to the right, and behind you, too, and with the sun yet to rise high in the sky, or a noise to be heard, you can’t help but be at peace, no matter how you’re playing up until that time. And it's all there to experience at 7:45 on a Sunday morning. I am thankful that I had a chance to share it with him for as long as I did.

My most deapest sympathies on your loss. I always enjoyed hanging out with John, and especially the fishing trips. He is going to be sorely missed among his friends. I'm so sorry.



Dan

Dear Bob, Bunny & Family, You have our most heartfelt thoughts and prayers at this difficult time. May the strength of the Lord hold you and carry you through.

Dear Lisa and the entire Whitman Family.



My thoughts and prayers will be with you daily during this time.

I pray that you will find strength and comfort in the wonderful memories of the love that John had for his family.

We are sorry for your loss of John and the grief that you are going through. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. We are so saddened and know time will help to heal your heart. May your memories and family bring you some comfort during this difficult time.

Dear Bob and Family,

My deepest condolences to all of you on the loss of your loved one.

We are so sorry for your loss. John was always a pleasure to work with & we have many wonderful memories of him. We will miss him.

My family offers its sincerest and most heart-felt condolences on your loss.

Bob,



I want to express my deepest sympathy. May G-d grant you and your family peace.

Sincerly,

Marvin

Dear Lisa and Family, I am so sorry for your loss. I always enjoyed working with John and will remember his willingness to help and his ability to make me laugh.My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Lisa and the entire Whitman family,

I am very sorry to hear about John's untimely passing. I have often thought of him since leaving 4ICU and always smiled. He will be deeply missed. You are all in my prayers.