Walter Whetstone was born on January 7, 1937 in Jacksonville, Florida, to Charlie and Maybell Kenley Whetstone. He was educated at Oakland Elementary School, Matthew W. Gilbert High School and Edward Waters College. At the age of 14, Walter was employed by Western Union as a bicycle messenger delivering telegrams.
As spoken by him, ‘‘It never rained, and it was never cold”. At the age of 23 he was drafted by the United States Army and served as a medic in Fountainebleau, France. After leaving the Army, Walter returned to Jacksonville working for Western Union, Gulf Life Insurance Company, and attending Edward Waters College at night.
After graduating in 1968 from Edward Waters College, he began working full-time at Gulf Life Insurance Company. During his employment, he earned numerous awards and his most prized was becoming a life member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), a Premier Association of Financial Professionals. December 28, 1959, Walter was united in holy matrimony to Dorothy Jean Thomas.
From this union three children were born Chris, Yelonda, and Shannon. Selling, servicing, solving people’s problems Walter was also a member of the Gulf Life Hall of Fame, received the National Sales Achievement Award and the 1974 General Agency Management (GAMA) Agent of the Year Award. In addition to Gulf Life, he worked as a broker for several other insurance companies e.g., American General Life Company (formerly known as Gulf Life) and Humana.
He was a member of the Boy Scouts of America, 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, and David H. Dwight Young Men Christian Association (YMCA). Better known as “Walt”, he was well loved by his colleagues, friends and associates. His greater love was for God and family.
He showed countless affection for others, helping whomever and whenever he could. On May 4, 2018 at 10:00 pm, he was called from labor to reward. He was preceded by his sister Daisy Whetstone Douglas, his mother, Maybell Kenerly Whetstone, his father, Charlie Whetstone, and his sister, Annie Wilhelmina Whetstone Baldwin.
He leaves to cherish his memories his beloved wife of 59 years, Dorothy Jean Thomas Whetstone; brother Charlie Whetstone, Jr.; sister, Mary Magdalene Whetstone Key (Will); five children: Regenia Whetstone Robinson (Eddie), Ricky Walter Whetstone (Maxine), Christopher Walter Whetstone (Cal), Yelonda Maria Whetstone Harvey (Darren), Amon DeShannon Whetstone (Lisa); 15 grandchildren, Eddie Jr., and Edgenia Robinson, Rickey Anderson, Kayarnta and Dwashaun Watson, DeShedra Richardson, Rienda Wilkerson, Cheryna Lewis, Christopher Jr. and Christopher Rashad Whetstone, Dia, Devin, Darren Jr. and Collin Harvey and Shalesia Whetstone; six sister- in-laws and brother-in-laws, a host of grand and great-grand children, nieces and nephews, and friends including devoted friends Maura Wolfson-Foster and Felicia Jones.
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