G. T. Whitley

G. T. (Tivis) Whitley, age 91 of Gatesville, passed away on Monday, August 15, 2011 in Floresville, Texas. Services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Friday, August 19, 2011 at the First Baptist Church of Gatesville, with Dr. Steve Dominy officiating. The family will receive visitors following the service in the church parlor. Private family interment will then follow at the Gatesville City Cemetery. He was born November 18, 1919 at Hurst Springs, Texas, one of nine children born to Samuel Payne and Elizabeth Hollingsworth Whitley. He grew up in the Turnersville area, and as a member of a hardworking farm family developed a work ethic equaled by few. Tivis received his education at Hurst Springs, Turnersville, Gatesville and finally North Texas State College in Denton, Texas. He married Ruth Maxwell of Arnett on May 14, 1940, and they enjoyed sixty nine years of marriage, ending in her death on August 2, 2009. Tivis enlisted in the Army Air Force on October 26, 1942 and was discharged January 25, 1946 after serving thirty nine months. He and Ruth were stationed in Waco at Blackland AFB, Foster Field in Victoria, Liberal Air Base in Liberal, Kansas, Brooks AFB in San Antonio and was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The great majority of his service time was spent teaching and training cadets and officers instrument flying to be future pilots. He was denied three requests for overseas action because his efforts here in training pilots were considered more valuable for the war effort. After his discharge, he and Ruth moved back to their home at Arnett where he was active in farming and ranching. He retired from the defense contracting plant at McGregor, Texas after twenty nine years of service. His unequalled work ethic, brilliant mechanical creativity and sterling character served him well and were a witness to many. He truly “thought outside the box”. Tivis had an idea and a solution for any need and a tool to do it with at all times (and an opinion he was willing to share). He was truly a member of “the greatest generation”, and he just graduated with honors. Tivis was a wonderful husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather (Papa), great grandfather (Great Papa) and a friend to all. He was a man of faith, and that faith grew and blossomed throughout the years, especially in the latter years. He realized more than anything else that the only lasting thing is a full commitment and surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. Without that, nothing else really matters. Like all his tools, his Bibles show the wear of use, but no dust. He and Ruth were members of Gatesville First Baptist Church and the Faith Sunday School class. They also enjoyed being members of the Gatesville RV Club. Tivis was preceded in death by a brother, Douglas Whitley; sisters Doris Chaffin, Geraldine Hitt and Grace Joslyn. G. T. is survived by his son, Robert A. (Bob) Whitley and wife, Judy of Floresville; granddaughter, Carolyn Ham and husband Brian; great granddaughters, Mia Denise and Sara Beth Ham all now stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; brothers, Troy Whitley of Speegleville, Hoyte Whitley and wife Martha of Eustis, Fla.; sisters, Patty Courtney and husband Moody of Jonesboro and Fay Howard of Jacksonville, Fla. The family wishes to especially thank Dr. J. D. Sheffield and the nurses and staff at Coryell Memorial Hospital for the compassionate care in the last days. We also extend special thanks to our friends and relatives, too many to name, for the unending prayer, calls, visits, flowers and expressions of concern. We will never forget. Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church, 912 E. Main St., Gatesville, TX 76528.