William Whitley Obituary William Lee Whitley November 3, 1932 - July 6, 2022 Franklin - William Lee "Billy" Whitley, 89, widower of Beverly Rogers Whitley, passed away on July 6, 2022 in Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Born on November 3, 1932, in Franklin, he was the son of the late Willie L. Whitley and Thelma Barrett Whitley. He was also predeceased by a granddaughter, Anna Whitley. Billy was a 1951 graduate of Franklin High School and a 1955 graduate of Randolph Macon College. He served in the US Army from 1955-1957 before receiving his Master s Degree in Education from William and Mary in 1964. He was a History and PE teacher at Chuckatuck High School and was head football and baseball coach. He became principal of John Yeates High School (formerly Chuckatuck High School) in 1967 and served in that capacity until he retired in 1990 with 33 years of service. He then became a member of the City of Suffolk School Board where he served for 18 years for a total of 51 years involvement with the Suffolk School System. Billy was a member of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church and a member of Chuckatuck Ruritan Club where he received a 52 year Perfect Attendance pin. Left to cherish his memory are his two sons, William L. "Bill" Whitley, Jr. (Janet) and Bradley R. "Brad" Whitley (Lisa); five grandchildren, Devon, Derrick, Devonne, and Erin Whitley and Ashley Works (Martin); and five great grandchildren, Derrick Jr., Columbia, Josiah, Empress, and Donnie. A Memorial Service will be held at 1PM Saturday, July 16, 2022, in John Yeates Middle School Auditorium, 4901 Bennetts Pasture Rd., Suffolk, VA with Rev. Brandon Nichols officiating. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8PM on Friday, July 15 in Wright Funeral Home, Franklin, and suggests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the Lewis F. Morris Scholarship, c/o The Suffolk Foundation, 110 West Finney Ave., Suite 100, Suffolk, VA 23434. To view the live stream click the link below. ( https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id100063609308457 ). Note you do not need to be a Facebook member to watch the live stream, and live streams usually start 5 minutes prior to the service, and will be saved for later viewing, Facebook permitting. Obituary published on Legacy.com by Wright Funeral Home and Crematory - Franklin on Aug. 17, 2022. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See also: 1) https://www.wrightfuneralhome.org/obituary/William-Whitley 2) https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/william-whitley-obituary?id36252299 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### Narrative Summary of the Obituary William Lee "Billy" Whitley, 89, passed away on 6 July 2022. A dedicated educator and principal, he served the Suffolk School System for over 51 years. He was survived by his two sons, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. ### Narrative Summary of Funeral Services A memorial service for William Lee "Billy" Whitley was held on 16 July 2022. The family received friends on 15 July at Wright Funeral Home in Franklin. Burial details were not specified in the obituary. ### The Edited Obituary William Lee "Billy" Whitley, 89, widower of Beverly Rogers Whitley, passed away on 6 July 2022 in Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Born on 3 November 1932 in Franklin, he was the son of the late Willie L. Whitley and Thelma Barrett Whitley. He was also predeceased by a granddaughter, Anna Whitley. Billy was a 1951 graduate of Franklin High School and a 1955 graduate of Randolph Macon College. He served in the US Army from 1955 to 1957 before receiving his Master’s Degree in Education from William and Mary in 1964. He was a History and PE teacher at Chuckatuck High School and was head football and baseball coach. He became principal of John Yeates High School (formerly Chuckatuck High School) in 1967 and served in that capacity until he retired in 1990 with 33 years of service. He then became a member of the City of Suffolk School Board, where he served for 18 years for a total of 51 years of involvement with the Suffolk School System. Billy was a member of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church and a member of Chuckatuck Ruritan Club, where he received a 52-year Perfect Attendance pin. Left to cherish his memory are his two sons, William L. "Bill" Whitley, Jr. (Janet) and Bradley R. "Brad" Whitley (Lisa); five grandchildren, Devon, Derrick, Devonne, and Erin Whitley, and Ashley Works (Martin); and five great-grandchildren, Derrick Jr., Columbia, Josiah, Empress, and Donnie. A memorial service will be held at 1 PM on Saturday, 16 July 2022, in John Yeates Middle School Auditorium, 4901 Bennetts Pasture Rd., Suffolk, VA, with Rev. Brandon Nichols officiating. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 PM on Friday, 15 July, in Wright Funeral Home, Franklin, and suggests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the Lewis F. Morris Scholarship, c/o The Suffolk Foundation, 110 West Finney Ave., Suite 100, Suffolk, VA 23434. To view the live stream, click the link below. (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id100063609308457). Note you do not need to be a Facebook member to watch the live stream, and live streams usually start 5 minutes prior to the service and will be saved for later viewing, Facebook permitting. Obituary published on Legacy.com by Wright Funeral Home and Crematory , Franklin on 17 August 2022. ### Vital Statistics Summary | Name | William Lee Billy Whitley | |---------|---------------------------------| | Age | 89 years | | Birth | 3 November 1932; Franklin | | Death | 6 July 2022; Suffolk | ### Table of Relationships | Name | Relationship | Residence | |------------------------------|------------------------|--------------------------------| | William Lee Billy Whitley | Decedent | Franklin, VA | | Beverly Rogers Whitley | Spouse (predeceased) | -- | | Willie L. Whitley | Parent | -- | | Thelma Barrett Whitley | Parent | -- | | William L. Bill Whitley, Jr. | Child | Unknown | | Bradley R. Brad Whitley | Child | Unknown | | Devon Whitley | Grandchild | Unknown | | Derrick Whitley | Grandchild | Unknown | | Devonne Whitley | Grandchild | Unknown | | Erin Whitley | Grandchild | Unknown | | Ashley Works | Grandchild | Unknown | | Anna Whitley | Predeceased Grandchild | -- | | Derrick Jr. | Great-grandchild | Unknown | | Columbia | Great-grandchild | Unknown | | Josiah | Great-grandchild | Unknown | | Empress | Great-grandchild | Unknown | | Donnie | Great-grandchild | Unknown | ### Other Relevant Information 1. William Lee "Billy" Whitley was born on 3 November 1932 in Franklin, Virginia. 2. He graduated from Franklin High School in 1951 and Randolph Macon College in 1955. 3. Billy served in the US Army from 1955 to 1957. 4. He received his Master’s Degree in Education from William and Mary in 1964. 5. Billy worked as a History and PE teacher at Chuckatuck High School and was the head football and baseball coach. 6. He became the principal of John Yeates High School in 1967 and served until his retirement in 1990. 7. Billy had a total of 51 years of involvement with the Suffolk School System. 8. He was a member of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church. 9. He was a member of the Chuckatuck Ruritan Club, where he received a 52-year Perfect Attendance pin.