Mrs. Hazel P. Whitley

Our mother was born at home on March 10, 1922 in Knox County (Dante), Tennessee to Hattie Lee Neal Parker and Charles Cleveland Parker. Her father’s oldest sister, Pauline and mother’s oldest sister, Lucy were there to assist. Her sisters were Mildred Juanita, Charlotte Agnes and June Mariah. Her brother, Charles Neal completed the family. She died April 24, 2016 with her niece, Joyce holding her hand and grandson Parker telling her about the beautiful spring birds.

Hazel attended Dante Elementary and Powell High School. Her family moved to North Augusta, SC in 1937 and she graduated from high school there in 1939. She attended Augusta Business College. Coming from a family of prideful working women, she worked at Silvers, Western Union Telegraph, Augusta Arsenal, Savanna River Plant and Wesley Heights Methodist Church in Charlotte, NC.

Dedicated to her Charlotte community, she worked the election polls in Wesley Heights and Oakdale. She was a census taker in both Aiken, SC and Charlotte, NC. She retired from CMS Alexander Jr. High School in Huntersville, NC in June 1987. The student body voted to publish their yearbook in her honor.

She married a handsome marine sergeant, Donald Maurice Whitley on May 5, 1943. They were married for 66 years until our father’s death in 2009. They built a good life with four children: Juanita June Whitley Carrier (Michael Holt Carrier), Dr. Donald Maurice Whitley (Marion Louise Newham Whitley), Kenneth Parker Whitley (Karen Schock Whitley) and Charles Russell Whitley (Robbin Amelia Rozzelle Whitley). As of her death, Hazel had 9 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. A 17th great granddaughter is due September 5th. Our mother had great pride in the fact that all her children had longstanding solid marriages.

She was involved with life and had a deep love and respect for people. Her heart was warmed by good friends. She was a member of DAR, Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church, the Charles Rhinehardt Sunday School Class, Circle Number 111, the YAYA Girls and two longstanding bridge clubs. She and Dad delivered Meals on Wheels for their church.

They loved to travel, doing most of it after retiring. During WWII, while our dad was stationed at a naval base they went to Newport, Rhode Island and New York for their first anniversary. She was asked to go to Washington, DC by her grandson Trent as a part of a fellowship program he was in at NC State. Who asks their grandmama to go on a trip? She toured England with her bridge friends. Visited family in Utah. Their family took them to Key West, Florida for their 50th wedding anniversary. To celebrate retirement, they went on a Caribbean cruise. Visited family in California. Their son Don and daughter in law Marion took them to Hawaii where our dad revisited places he served during the war. They took a trip to the Holy Land and were baptized in the River Jordan at a spot where it is thought that Jesus was baptized. Many trips were taken to Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head and Leatherwood Mountains with their family. All this travel took place while growing a big garden every summer.

We are so grateful to Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church. We hold the staff at Huntersville Oaks in our arms as they have us. Thank you Hospice and Palliative Care, Charlotte Region. You helped us experience life and loss.

Our mother said that the most important things in her and our dad’s lives were each other, their children and spouses, grandchildren and their spouses, their extended families, their friends and their church.

A service to celebrate Hazel’s life will be held at 2:30 on Friday, April 29th at Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church, 1915 Oakdale Road, Charlotte, NC 28216, officiated by the Reverend Billy Towery. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service. Burial will take place at the church’s cemetery. Memorials may be made to Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church, PO Box 681900, Charlotte, NC 28216 and Hospice and Palliative Care, Charlotte, 1420 East 7th Street, Charlotte, NC 28204. Forest Lawn West is serving the family.