Thomas Gibson Whatley

Thomas Gibson Whatley of Macon, Georgia, entered eternal life Thursday, December 12, 2019 after a final bout with cancer. Funeral services will be held Thursday, December 19 at 2:00 pm at Vineville United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the ministries of Vineville United Methodist Church, 2045 Vineville Ave, Macon, GA 31204.

Mr. Whatley was born in Forsyth, Georgia and was the youngest of five children of G. Paul and Annie Whatley. He graduated from Mary Persons High School. Thereafter, he received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech where he was a member of Theta Chi Fraternity.

After college, Mr. Whatley married Emmalee Wyly, with whom he would spend his life until her passing in 2017. He was an officer in the United States Air Force and Air Force Reserves. After receiving an honorable discharge, he began a career in the textile industry; first in Asheville, North Carolina and then in Macon, Georgia. He worked for 30 years as an industrial engineer at the Corporate Offices of the Bibb Company in Macon and retired in 1999.

Mr. Whatley was a member of Vineville United Methodist Church for 50 years and served on various committees. He will be remembered for his zealous efforts to procure donors during Red Cross blood drives at the Church.

Mr. Whatley was also a lifelong supporter of the Boy Scouts of America through Troop 19 at Vineville UMC, where, as Scoutmaster, he led his sons and many other young men to become Eagle Scouts. As a scouter, he also held District and Council positions and was honored with the Silver Beaver Award for his service to the youth through the Boy Scouts in Middle Georgia.

Mr. Whatley was a very long-time member of the Webb Fellowship Sunday School Class at Vineville UMC. Through his church and contacts at The Bibb Company, he became a supporter of I am for the Urals, a mission organization which distributes Russian language Bibles in Russia. His support of the organization led him to travel on two short term mission trips to Yekaterinburg, Russia, where he befriended local Russian Preachers of the Gospel of Christ.

Mr. Whatley’s last years were marked by his unceasing care for his wife, Emmalee, who suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. He valiantly confronted treatment for pancreatic cancer, including major surgery at Emory University and chemotherapy and radiation in Savannah, in hopes that he could resume care for Emmalee. His treatment prolonged his life for four years and his family is grateful to his physicians and caregivers for their compassionate service on his behalf. The family sends special thanks to cousins, Matt, Liz, and Faith Fabian for their faithful support of Tom and Emmalee, and our entire family, during Tom and Emmalee’s final years; you were the hands and feet of Christ.

Mr. Whatley is preceded in death by his wife, Emmalee Wyly Whatley; father, George Paul Whatley; mother, Annie Gibson Whatley; brother, George Paul Whatley, Jr.; and his sisters, Jean Whatley Hatzenbuhler and Frederica Whatley Brown.

Mr. Whatley is survived by his sister, Mary Lou Mentzer of Houston, Texas; sons, Thomas Gibson Whatley, Jr. (Maliece) of Savannah, and Robert Wyly Whatley of Knoxville, Tennessee; daughter, Rachel Whatley Terrell (Dwayne) of Macon; grandson, Thomas Gibson Whatley, III (Alexa) of Roswell, Georgia; granddaughter, Elizabeth Whatley Leblang (David) of Peachtree Corners, Georgia; grandson, Jackson Robert Whatley of Knoxville, Tennesse; nieces and nephews, Suzanne Embree and family, Tom Hatzenbuhler and family, Virginia Belval and family, Marilyn Mentzer, Catherine Mentzer, James Brown and family, and Paul Brown and family.

Please visit www.hartsmort.com to express condolences.

Hart’s on Cherry Street, Hart's Mortuary and Cremation Center, 765 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201 has charge of the arrangements.

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