Rev Walter Lee Whitaker Sr

February 17, 1957 - August 27, 2015

Reverend Walter Whitaker Sr, was born on February 17, 1957 in Edgecombe County, North Carolina to Maggie Parker Whitaker and the late Raymond Whitaker Sr, the 7th of eleven children. On Thursday, August 27, 2015 after a routine day of working and returning to his residence with family, God called him home. In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Raymond Jr and Leroy and two sisters, Maggie Warren and Doris King. He was a man of faith, with big dreams and a big heart. He believed in God and family first. He confessed his the call to Ministry and was ordained at Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, where he taught adult Sunday School for the past twelve years and served as Associate Pastor at the church. Academics was always a major part of Rev. Whitakers’ life. He graduated from Northern Nash High School in Rocky Mount, NC. After graduation he enlisted in the United States Air Force, and retired at Hickham Air Force Base Hawaii as a Master Sergeant in 1995. After leaving the Air Force he continued his education. He received his Batchelor’s degree from NC Wesleyan College; his Masters of Education degree and Education Specialist/Leadership doctorate degree from Liberty University. He was currently working on a second doctorate degree at Liberty University. At the time of his death, he was a teacher at Parkers Middle School in Rocky Mount NC. He loved teaching, and one of his passions was guiding young people to a better future. He loved reading and encouraged his children to read daily, exercising his beliefs by taking them to libraries in NC and Virginia on a regular basis, where they checked out books and he made sure they read each and every one. He encouraged them to travel and see the world and he took them on many recreation trips throughout the United States. He treated all of his children’s friends as his own children, and often took them on trips too. Rev. Whitaker loved helping people, especially the elderly. He spent much time running errands for them and taking them out to eat. Two of his favorite were Min. Erma Mervin and Mrs. Annie Mae Battle. As a young child, he loved playing the guitar and organ and singing gospel music. While in military service, he was winner of the Hickham Air Force Base Music Competition in Seoul Korea in 1987 and Honolulu, Hawaii in 1994. Reverend Whitaker was a world-wide gospel singer and recording artist; both as a solo artist and with his family group “The Spiritual Keys”. His song “Starting all over again” expressed his faith in God and his perception of life, along with his popular recording tribute to Willie Banks, “God Is Still in Charge of My Life.” Reverend Whitakers music can be found on all major download sites; Itunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Google Play and others under “The Spiritual Keys”. He leaves to cherish his memories, his wife of 27 years Virginia Bunn Whitaker, One son, Walter Lee Whitaker,Jr (Talisha) of Virginia Beach,Va; Five daughters, Crystal , Emerald and Kadee Whitaker of the home; LaNika Barnes (Chris) of Charlottesville, Va.; Miracle Whitaker of Nashville, Ga; One unofficial adopted daughter, Rachel Brooks of Rocky Mount, NC. Six grandchildren, Kordel and Kristian Whitaker; Jyazia and Laila Barnes; Serenity Mackey and Torey Lott II. His mother, Maggie Whitaker of Whitakers NC; Three brothers, Bishop James Whitaker (Gloria) of Okinawa, Japan; George Whitaker (Aljeana) of Whitakers, NC; and Marvin Whitaker, Phoenix City, AL; three sisters, Mary Whitaker-Bing (Timothy) of Brooklyn, NY; Margaret Harris (Thomas) of Elm City, NC; and Patricia Hunter Larry) of Garner, NC. Seven sisters-in-law, Rozella Hobbs of Kennesaw, Ga; Chief Apostle Ida Lusby and Vanessa Pittman of Rocky Mount, NC; Mary B Bunn of Rocky Mount, NC; Margaret Jones (Johnny), and Mary D Bunn of Whitakers, NC; and Ethel Braswell (Joseph) of Cocoa Beach, FL. Four brothers-in-law, Roosevelt Pittman (Burnetta) of Whitakers, NC; William Bunn and Rosco Bunn of Rocky Mount,NC and Wayne Bunn of Battleboro, NC, a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.