Charles Robert Whitley

March 26, 2019

Mr. Charles Robert Whitley, age 86, of Eastman, Ga. passed away Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at Dodge County Hospital in Eastman, Ga. following a brief illness.

A native of Mitchell County, Mr. Whitley was born June 4, l932, son of Charlie Woodberry and Irene Harrell Whitley.

Mr. Whitley was a l950 graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School in Decatur County, Ga. and a l962 graduate of Woodrow Wilson College of Law in Atlanta where he earned a Bachelor of Law Degree. After completing high school, Mr. Whitley worked for Miller-Hydro Company in Bainbridge until he enlisted in the United States Air Force during the Korean War, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. He received an honorable discharge in l955 and was employed by Minerals & Chemicals Corp. (now Englehardt Corp.) in Attapulgus, where he met the young lady who became his wife on December 23, l956. After their marriage, the newlyweds moved to the Atlanta area where Mr. Whitley had enrolled at Southern Technical Institute. He left Southern Tech and again served his country in the Air National Guard, receiving an honorable discharge as Staff Sergeant in l963. He and his wife both worked in the home office of retail Credit Company (now Equifax Corp.) in Atlanta for several years.

Mr. Whitley began his distinguished law-enforcement career in l962 as an officer with the DeKalb County, Ga. Police Department, where he remained for two years. In l964 he became a Trooper with the Georgia State Patrol where he worked until l97l when he transferred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. At the time of his retirement in l987, Mr. Whitley was serving as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Thomasville Office. During his tenure with the GBI, he graduated from the Academy of Forensic Polygraph in College Park as a Certified Polygraph Examiner.

After retiring from the state, Mr. Whitley did some private work as a polygraphist. A few years later he returned to work in law enforcement with the Thomas County Sheriff’s Dept. and with the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Dept., retiring again in l994, when he and his wife moved to Douglas to be near their son.

On April 30, 2000, in Athens, Ga., the Laura Rutherford Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy bestowed on Mr. Whitley the Military Service Award. To qualify for this honor, the recipient must have been a direct descendant of a Confederate Soldier and must have served his country overseas in the military. Mr. Whitley qualified because he had proudly served his country during the Korean War and because his great grandfather, Craven Wise Whitley, had served in the Confederate Army.

Mr. Whitley was a member of the Whigham Masonic Lodge for more than fifty years, was a member of the Peace Officer’s Association of Georgia and was a member of the Association of Retired State Troopers and GBI Agents. Mr. Whitley was a member of the Gideons International, serving in the Atkinson/Coffee Counties Camp. He was a member of Sunnyside Freewill Baptist Church in Pearson, where he served as a deacon. He had also served as a deacon at First Baptist Churches in Thomasville and Douglas, Ga.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Whitley was preceded in death by a brother, Philip Craig Whitley, infant sister, Sandra Kaye Whitley, sisters-in-law, Martha Waters Mobley and Beth Mobley Abney and brothers-in-law, George Abney and Joe Mobley.

Survivors include:

Wife: Shirley Nell Mobley Whitley of Eastman, Ga.

 

Son: Scott Whitley and wife Glennie of Eastman, Ga.

4 Grandchildren: Kalin Whitley Nolan and husband Patrick of Douglas, Ga.

Wade Andrew Whitely of Pearson, Ga. and fiancée Santana Reyes of Douglas, Ga.

Glenna Rae Whitley of Eastman, Ga.

Conley Nicole Whitley of Eastman, Ga.

 

Great-Granddaughter: Charli Kate Nolan of Douglas, Ga.

 

Step-Great-Grandson: Liam Nolan of Tifton, Ga.

 

Brother and Sister-In-Law: Curtis Mobley and wife Jackie of Columbia, S.C.

 

Brother-In-Law: Benny Mobley of Whigham, Ga.

 

Sister-In-Law: Debbie Jean Whitley of Dacula, Ga.

 

Sister-In-Law: Virginia Mobley of West Palm Beach, Fl.

 

Several nieces, nephews, and other relatives also survive.

 

Funeral Services for Mr. Whitley were held, Friday, March 29, 2019 at 3: p.m. at Sunnyside Freewill Baptist Church with Rev. Teddy Burch officiating. The Eulogy was given by Mr. Whitley’s daughter in law, Glennie Whitley. Special music included “Precious Memories” rendered by Mia and Zoey Adair and “Go Rest High on That Mountain” (recorded) by Rick Griswold. Soft music for the Prelude and Postlude was by Lila Deems, pianist.  The interment followed in the Sunnyside Church Cemetery with Military Honors rendered by an Honor Guard contingent from Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Ga. and Last Call Honors rendered by the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Dept. and Tri County 9ll Center.

Serving as active pallbearers were Robbie Dale Bazemore, Vic DeJaynes, Randall Griffin, Corey Hayes, Hardy Summerlin and Clifford Taft.

The family request that memorials be made to the Gideons International, P. O. Box 2138, Douglas, Ga. 3l534

Relihan Funeral Home in Pearson, Ga. was in charge of all the arrangements.