James Edward Whipple

Jim Whipple passed from this life on October 7th, 2009 at the age of 79. Husband, father, grandfather and friend to many, Jim never met a stranger and always took a sincere interest in others.

Being born into a large family in St. Louis, Missouri that included 52 first cousins conditioned him to love people. Jim graduated from Rutherford High School in New Jersey where he was student body president. He went on to play basketball at his beloved alma mater, Virginia Tech and roused his family on Saturday mornings with the VPI fight song.

After graduation, Jim served as an officer in the US Navy, stationed in Charleston where he met and married his wife Frances at First Scots Presbyterian Church. Together they had five children. Jim demonstrated his love of children – his own and others – by serving as a PTA president, coaching countless athletic teams and tutoring students in mathematics.

Jim was a corporate engineer and after finishing his career with Abbott Labs near Chicago, returned to South Carolina in 1999. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Greer.

Jim is survived by his wife, Frances, three daughters and their husbands, Jane Anne & John Bruch of Greenville, Hope and Charles Boothe of Dublin, Ohio and Wendy & John Ginn of Knoxville, Tennessee; two sons and one daughter-in-law, James Whipple of Greensboro, North Carolina and David and Veronica Whipple of St. Louis, Missouri, along with eleven grandchildren, Meredith Ginn, Hannah Bruch, Matthew Boothe, Isaac Whipple, Clayton Ginn, Virginia Bruch, Meg Boothe, Truett Ginn, Leslie Booth, Baileigh and Ben Whipple. Jim is also survived by his sister Helen Arnold of Nashville, Tennessee, brother-in-law Charles McCloud also of Nashville, sister-in-law Nora Whipple of St. Charles, Missouri and many nieces and nephews.

A service will be held at the Presbyterian Church of Honea Path where Jim served as an Elder, on Saturday afternoon October 10th at 4P.M. A reception in the Fellowship Hall will follow.

In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Honea Path Presbyterian Church, 106 Church St, Honea Path, SC, 29654, or to Operation Smile, 6435 Tidewater Drive, Norfolk, Virginia, 23509.