CHARLES "WHIT" WHITAKER MCCLENDON

Graveside services for Charles Whitaker “Whit” McClendon, descendent of a historic Tyler family, will take place on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at Oakwood Cemetery in Tyler, with The Rev. David A. Luckenbach of Christ Episcopal Church presiding, under direction of Jackson’s Burks Walker Tippit Funeral Home. Whit passed away on November 15, 2017, following a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease and its complications. Whit was a spiritual, kind man with a warm smile, who will be remembered for his gentle presence by all who knew him well. Whit was born in Austin, Texas, on February 20, 1962. He grew up in Huntington Beach, California, where he graduated from Huntington Beach High School. While there he ran on the cross country team, performed lead roles in drama department productions and was a member of the Jazz Vocal & Dance Ensemble. He then attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts (Drama).

During his professional life, Whit lived in southern California, Nevada, Arkansas and South Carolina. He initially worked as an actor in Los Angeles, appearing as an extra in the movie “Glory,” among others. Later in life, he spent many years in the technology field, including five years as the IT Manager of the Sportsclub of Greenville, South Carolina. His diverse interests also included playing the guitar and love of Basset Hounds.

During the last seven years of his life, Whit’s care was overseen by his father, Frank L. McClendon, Jr., formerly of Tyler. In the fight against his son’s neurological disease, Frank sought out state-of-the-art care for Whit. This included treatment at the Cleveland Clinic/Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was enrolled in a clinical trial called “Pedaling for Parkinson’s.” Whit also received advanced neurosurgical care from the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona.

Whit is survived by his father, Frank L. McClendon, Jr., of Las Vegas, Nevada; his mother and stepfather, Ann and Jack Hostetler of Placitas, New Mexico; his daughter, Christina McClendon of Los Angeles; and his sister and brother-in-law, Leslie B. McClendon and Barry Sabin of McLean, Virginia. Additional survivors include his nephew and niece, Ian and Lara Sabin, also of McLean; his aunt and uncle, Anne McClendon Jones and Rob Jones of Tyler; his aunt and uncle, Nancy Hamilton Schebeck and Emmerich Schebeck of both Alexandria and Perchtoldsdorf, Austria; and his cousins, Jennifer Malone of Dallas and Imre Schebeck of Perchtoldsdorf.

If desired, memorials may be made to the Bonner-Whitaker-McClendon House, P.O. Box 10036, Tyler, TX 75711 or Christ Episcopal Church, 118 South Bois d’Arc, Tyler, TX 75702. Online condolences maybe left at www.burkswalkertippit.com

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