Mr. Mark Douglas Whitley

Born into a Tennessee Gas Pipeline family, which as a kid moved him along the pipeline from Kentucky to Massachusetts, where he eventually attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute. At WPI he received a bachelors degree in chemical engineering. He then went on to receive his masters in the same field from the University of Kentucky.

Soon after graduating he went to work for Shell Oil Company in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he met the love of his life, Janice Mary Bell. They were married on June 22, 1979 and since then their marriage has been an inspiration to anyone that had the opportunity to meet them as a couple.

Through his success at Shell, Mark was recruited by his mentor, Homer H. Hershey, to work for Mitchell Energy Corporation in The Woodlands, Texas. Mitchell Energy was where he gained the trust of the “Father of Fracking” George P. Mitchell. After fifteen years working for Mr. Mitchell, Mark was selected to spearhead and implement the slick water horizontal hydraulic fracturing process that opened up the Barnett Shale and has since been replicated by oil & gas companies all over the world.

In 2005, he joined Range Resources Corporation to start their Barnett Shale activity as well as develop the Marcellus Shale in Appalachia.

Finally, in 2016 Mark fulfilled a lifelong dream to become founder, president and CEO of Chisholm Energy Holdings until his retirement in 2020.

In recognition for his extraordinary success in his field, he was inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Engineering Hall of Distinction in 2017.

Mark Douglas Whitley was preceded in death by his beloved father, Edward Wallace Whitley and his grandsons, Hudson Edward Whitley, Landry Douglas Whitley.

He is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Janice Mary Bell Whitley, his son, Matthew Ryan Whitley, with his wife, Jennifer Cardosa Whitley and their daughters, Ava James Whitley and Eliana Marie Whitley and his son, Patrick Higgins Whitley, with his wife Kristie Kendall Whitley and their son Waylon Wallace Whitley.

He is also survived by his adoring mother, Marjorie Miller Whitley, and his siblings, Norman Lyle Whitley, Brian Wallace Whitley and Marsha Whitley Montgomery.

In lieu of flowers, Mark would have wanted you to please donate to:

American Cancer Society

Wounded Warrior Project

First United Methodist Church of Winchester, Kentucky winfumc.org

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.bluebonnethills.com for the Whitley family.