Clair LaVerne Whitman

Clair LaVerne Whitman

Clair LaVerne Whitman, 81, of Lisbon, died Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids after a short illness. Funeral services will be Friday, Jan. 4, at 10 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Lisbon, with Pastor Tom Mattson officiating. Visitation will be held Thursday evening from 4 to 7 at Morgan Funeral and Cremation, Mount Vernon. Burial will be in Lisbon Cemetery, with military honors.

Survivors include his wife, Janette Whitman of Lisbon; son, Michael (Diane) Whitman of Wilton; daughter, Karen Billman of Mechanicsville; son, Gary Whitman of Morley; and daughter, Cheryl (Darren) Coppess of Stanwood; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; sister, Dorothy (Bill) Stork of Lisbon; brother, Arlo (JeanAnn) Whitman of Lisbon; brother, Glenn Whitman of Cedar Rapids; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Kenny Whitman; and nephew, David Whitman.

Clair was born Sept. 23, 1931, in Linn County, to Earl and Mabel Whitman. He married Janette Kay Fisher on June 3, 1957, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua.

Clair graduated from Lisbon High School and served in the United States Navy from January 1951 to April 1960, with honors of the Good Conduct Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Korean Service Medal.

Clair was a lifetime member of the American Legion (58 years) and the VFW. He was also involved in the Masonic Lodge, Moose Lodge of Tipton, and charter member of the Lisbon Lions Club. Clair retired from Iowa Electric after 35 years of service as an electrician and a member of the IBEW Local 204 of Cedar Rapids. He was a member of the United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Clair’s name.

The family wishes to send a special thank you to St. Luke’s Hospice and the Mechanicsville Nursing Home.

Online condolences may be sent to www.morganfuneralchoices.com

Published Jan. 2, 2013 in The Gazette