Friends and Family are welcomed to make donations to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Wage Hope at www.pancan.org.



Charles Uncas Whitson, Jr.
My Written Life's Journey
June 2, 1942 - February 12, 2016

I, Charles Uncas Whitson, Jr., was one of three children born to Vivian Walton Whitson and Charles Whitson, Sr. in Memphis Tennessee. I attended Holy Cross Catholic Elementary, Cunningham Junior High and Carroll High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, where I excelled in track and everything except Algebra…

After accepting a Track Scholarship to Texas Western/UTEP and integrated the Track Program; I was one of two Black American athletes to start UTEP on a program of NCAA Track Championships, with UTEP, later using athletes primarily from Africa and Europe. After graduating from Texas Western (UTEP) in 1964; I joined the United States Air Force and became a Commissioned Officer in Intelligence with an Honorable Discharge.

In 1970, after having two kids and a 2nd mortgage, I dropped my childhood name and became, Chuck Whitson. Traveling and imparting values were high agenda items for my kids. While raising my kids, there were numerous trips to cabins, in Green Valley Lake, frequent trips to A frames in the San Bernardino Mountains and their first van drive to Rosarito Beach, Mexico. There were constant and numerous conversations with the kids regarding life and life choices in order to instill lasting values.

In 1977 I met Marie, got married in 1980, rededicated my life to Christ, was baptized in August 1982 at South Vermont Baptist Church in Gardena, CA and have been attending First Baptist Church of Lakewood aka Arbor Road Church for 25 years.

After the kids moved on with their lives, Marie and I started playing golf and traveled frequently to the Mexican Resorts, Puerto Rico and Europe. We were scheduled to go to Cuba in 2014, but the trip was changed to Europe, when our State Department disapproved the tour.

I was proud that I graduated in four years with a degree in English and a minor in Economics at Texas Western. I started as an Automobile Bodily Injury Claims Adjustor for Allstate in Santa Ana. I also worked for all the major insurance companies, including State Farm and Farmers. In my 40 year career in insurance, I rose to Commercial Litigation Manager for Farmers until I closed the Wilshire Center Litigation Center in 1992. After the office closing, I took a position three grades lower, deemed the best job in the business, and a company car so that I could work out of my home and play golf and tennis.

In 2006, Two Physical Therapists commented that I was the most active Senior Citizen that they knew. There were days, before my retirement, when I started at 3:00 am with emails and completed up to 40 chess moves vs players across several continents. After retirement, my days were basically chess, golf once a week, tennis once a week, volunteering and a daily nap. Later, there was walking, my dog Dexter 2 times a day and piano practice for my brain/finger flexibility. I also volunteered for two organizations monthly and for the Cancer Society's Annual Fundraiser. In addition, I studied Spanish and I practiced my Spanish further by communicating at my 18 year part-time position at the Irvine Marriott.

I want to mention certain Special people in my life, my wife of 35 years, Marie, my daughter, Renee (Gari) Thomas of Atlanta, GA; my son, Alonzo, of Fullerton, CA; my stepson, Carlton McLin of Norwalk, CA; my sister Cecilia Whitson of Corpus Christi, TX; my sister Beverly Vaughn and my niece, Emerald Vaughn of Beaumont Texas, my grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousin Mickey (Carol) Thompson of Biloxi, MS; my sister-in-laws and brother-in-law; my pool-shark buddy, Rev. Franklin Haynes/wife Mary, my long time golf/tennis buddy, Marcus Farris and my host of friends, golfers, tennis players and like minded acquaintances.