Name: Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home & Woodlawn Memorial Park
Address: Nashville, TN

Coach Whitten was one of the nicest, most decent men in all of collegiate athletics. I have never known a coach who was more respected and admired by his players and his peers than Dave Whitten. We need more coaches like him today.

Dave Whitten was a very dear friend, and words cannot begin to express what he meant to me, our program, and this university. Simply put, he built this program. His grace and passion for the game remain the cornerstones of our program. So much of what Belmont Baseball has accomplished on and off the diamond can be traced back to Coach Whitten.

I, along with countless others, am saddened to hear of Coach Whitten's passing.  Dave was a long-time treasured friend and colleague.  He was truly a great man whose life made an eternal significance in this world.  I'll always remember Dave as a family man and a man of great faith whose calling in life was impacting the lives of young men through the game of baseball. He will always be Belmont's â€œMr. Baseballâ€ and his legacy will live on at Belmont and in the lives of his players. My thoughts and prayers go out to Martha, the family, and the multitude of players who loved and respected him.

Coach Whitten was one of the kindest, most wonderful gentlemen you'd ever want to meet. His passion for baseball was unmistakable, and his love of Nashville and Belmont University was unquestioned. He was truly a first-class individual in every way. Coach Whitten enriched the lives of so many, and he will be missed greatly.

I was deeply saddened to hear of Coach Whitten's passing. He was such a good man who had a profound & lasting effect on all of us who played for him. In fact, when I think of all that has happened in my life and where I am today, a lot can be traced back to my time at Belmont all because Coach gave me an opportunity. He allowed me to continue playing a game I love still today and to receive a college education which, in turn, prepared me for my banking career. Being part of the Belmont baseball family enabled me to forge life-long friendships and created some of my most treasured memories. Truly, playing for Coach Whitten were some of the best times of my life. Most importantly, I met my wife at Belmont with whom we've had 3 sons and a daughter. All these things can be traced back to Coach Whitten giving me the opportunity to come to Belmont.

There are thousands of guys who have similar stories. It's overwhelming to think of the impact that Coach Whitten had on so many people. His influence reached far beyond the ball field to the college/university and its students, to our city, and to the game of baseball both here and abroad. Even more impressive is that he accomplished so much with so little fanfare. He simply lived a Christian life because that's who he was. He was consistent in living his life and held true without compromise to his values. When I think of Coach Whitten, I think of a good, kind, and decent Christian man who loved you and his family and cared deeply for those of us who played for him and Belmont. Coach Whitten lived his life the way all young men should aspire to live their lives.

We all are better people for having known Coach Whitten and for his influence on each one of us and this world is a better place because of the life he lived and the impact he had.

He was truly an American Hero and his legacy will endure.

Please know that I am thinking of you and hope that you will draw comfort from all the wonderful memories.

Sorry to hear the news. We know that he will always be looking DOWN on us because we know he is in heaven.  What a great person/coach/mentor he was for us all.

Dear Belmont Baseball Family,
 
Words seem so shallow when describing what Coach Whitten's presence in our lives truly meant.  I know he has moved into a more wonderful place, but still would give anything to see him standing one more time on that baseline, or moving across the infield with rake or watering hose in hand, or a chaw in his cheek.  (Right there in the middle of the Belmont Campus where for so many of us, he will always be remembered) 
 
I can't help but believe all the care and guidance and inspiration he poured into the team and field he was so proud of and loved, left a forever heart impression that will continue to beat in the center of the campus as long as there is a Belmont University.  That kind of energy and love does not disappear.  It couldn't help but be absorbed in the very grass, soil and bricks, just like it will always be a part of who each of us is today. 
 
 I can't help but believe that when it is quiet in the late afternoon, if we were to silently walk through that part of campus, the soft thud of a ball hitting a mitt would echo off the side of Pembroke Hall, or the crack of a bat ring ever so clearly in the air.  And somewhere in that silence, there is a whistling tune and the sound of  a light spray of water filtering across the grass, even where concrete now lays.  The impressions Coach Whitten and that field, and each of you made on our beloved campus doesn't just go away quietly because their physical presence is no longer with us.  It transcends.  Belmont will forever be a better place because of that strong heart beating in the center of her campus, and each of us will always know that Coach is pulling for us in the stands, whatever the opposition we face, confident our next play will be a game winner. 
 
Thank you for your love and your legacy Coach Whitten,

My freshman year at Belmont was Coach Whitten's final season as Head Coach. That year we had 1 sophomore who played 3 more seasons with me, and 3 other freshmen, none of whom played longer than 2 seasons. I'm sure not everybody had the same experience with him as I did. But then, the youngest child in a family is usually spoiled. 
On the same afternoon of my 18th birthday and high school graduation, and on my own way under my own direction, my parents informed me that we had gotten a call from the coach at Belmont. I had a roommate, dorm room, roster spot, and a class schedule already lined up for that fall at Ole Miss. I had options. But simply by the grace of God, there was a change of plans. The formalities occurred, and I was headed to Belmont.  
I played one single season for a man who lived his 68h year of life as I lived my 18th. I watched him very closely, because he had truly just come out of nowhere to change my life in so many significant ways. And I watched him even more closely because I was always expecting some rebuke that never came. I felt like I didn't deserve the treatment I was getting from him. The treatment of grace, the second chance. I saw a man who walked around softly, and did so whether or not I was currently swinging a big stick. Coming from a world where your identity was formed by results, that lack of scrutiny felt odd. Oddly refreshing. Oddly edifying. I watched a man who didn't have an ounce of disdain for anything except that ounce of tobacco-flavored saliva that had just lost its taste. And he'd spit out that bland taste with a fury. The only fury I ever saw from Dave Whitten. But then again, Jesus killed a fig tree on the spot for its lack of fruit. He too despises things that lose their flavor. He even promises to spit them out His mouth. And then there's the one that reminds me the most of the Dave Whitten I knew. There's a story about Jesus spitting on some dirt to open a man's eyes. And the interesting twist there is that without that call from Dave Whitten, the path of my life might very well have become one without fruit because of my blindness. That call from him might have saved my life from becoming so self-focused, bland, fruitless, and tasteless. 
I met my wife of 12 years in the fall of my freshman year at Belmont. I met some of my best friends and teammates that were such powerful examples to me that I would have to draw strength from over and over in my life. And I met a man in Dave Whitten who was confident whether I was or not. And that taught me confidence. I learned how to have peace even at the bottom of the lineup. During a time in my life where I thought I was going to have the freedom to exercise all the desires of an 18 year old male who had just left accountability, I saw God so gently use a man to show me how to have accountability to my own soul. I had always heard that tobacco was not good for you. But watching him chew that tobacco was sure good for me!
I'm sure Coach Whitten loved baseball. The King of Israel wrote that there is no greater joy than to find satisfaction in the work of your hands, and that that satisfaction is a gift from God. There's going to be a lot of talk about how Coach just loved baseball. But the facts are that the games that Dave Whitten won or lost are now but dust in the wind as far as he's concerned. The work of Dave Whitten's hands that I remember are still written upon the tablets of my heart. The work of his hands that I will remember forever was when they would hit my back ever so gently with encouragement that was like a drink of water to the dessert of my soul. Gentle handsâ€¦ that hit my back with a power that came from peace. In that work indeed he will continue to derive satisfaction. Being but a coach, doing the work of, and being a work of God. 
Solomon's father was used of God a few times himself. A man named â€¦ David. During one of those times David wrote that â€œPrecious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.â€ Not because death is good. But reunion with a God who never misses a call is. Reunion with a God who sees the heart of a man as Dave Whitten saw mine. Reunion with a God who has compassion for those despite their sin, who desire to be what Dave Whitten was to me, but just need one season to be shown how it's done.  
In my life, my marriage, my children, the little league teams I coach, the businesses I've built, my management style, and my ministry are a monument to the seeds of obedience Dave Whitten planted in my life. The seeds of compassion, forgiveness, grace, humility and gentleness. One small ounce of obedience to open the eyes of a man whose heart was blind and who needed to be shown how to see a different way. Belmont might not build a St. Dave's Cathedral. And I hope they never do because it would put the name of a man who had a soft heart on hard stone. The men he influenced and changed are the monuments to his work. 
Enoch walked with God until Enoch was no more. What had formally belonged to Enoch just got folded into God's plan until Enoch's just got left behind. That probably happened once they both agreed that it wasn't worth dealing with the problems of Enoch. Dave Whitten now no longer has to deal with strikes being called a ball. He no longer has to deal with hospital beds. He no longer has to deal with the shenanigans of boys who simply don't know yet. He is no more because, thankfully, the imperfection that made him just a man is now completely taken care of by a God who can make up for that weakness. He has served his time. He's been folded into the more perfect things of God. And the things we will remember about Dave Whitten aren't of Dave Whitten. They are simply the unique ways in which God folded a humble man into His bigger plan. He used a man who chewed tobacco, loved his wife, played baseball to minister to boys who would later become men of God. And if for no other reason than to honor Dave Whitten, I will respect the God of Dave Whitten. And I will be as he was. I will be humble, patient, gentle, and kind. I will love my wife, respect the umpires, and respect even those who can't hit a beach ball that day. 
I had a chance to privately share some of the impact he had on my life to Coach when he was in the hospital at Vanderbilt. His response, â€œThat's great.â€   It wasn't terse because he was unconcerned. It was because he was expectant of the fruits of peace. He knew peace and the Prince of it. He wasn't concerned with the results. If you plant a seed of peace, and it DOESN't bear fruit, then be concerned. He knew that walking with peace begets walkers of peace. It is my hope that others will walk away from honoring Dave Whitten by learning more about the One Who walked with him. Sure, Mrs. Whitten had a tremendous influence, as did others. But if he could speak now, the only honor he would want to receive for himself is for us to honor the One who is the reason he is still alive todayâ€¦ and to honor, know and walk with the One who gave him the peace that made us notice.
I will miss him greatly, and never forget him.  Thank you for giving him to us.  Supporting him as he supported us. Loving him so he could love us!

Thank you Coach for being such a wonderful and positive influence on me as well as so many others at such a crucial time in our lives.  You were a man who took the time to get to know everyone that came through your system. You definitely led of life of "Significance!"  We will all miss you, 21!!

Dear Whittens, It would be impossible to enter the right words to describe Coach and what he meant to me but heres a little glance. I remember the day we met and how we hit it off. He saw me bat one time and then offered me the chance of a lifetime. I drove a van on every trip for 5 years. The year I helped him coach I got to know a differant side of him as we roomed together and he was always reflecting, wow what a memory he had. He loved his players, he cared about our families. He never once saw me after I left that he didnt ask about my mom. He loved life and could describe every moment and detail of the things he enjoyed and the people he loved. I only wish I could help, touch and affect a fraction of the people he has in his lifetime. He loved Whitten field on campus, I will never forget the day he said they are taking our field.The players were very upset,but he handled it with such dignity, we all moved on. He taught me alot that day and many other days also. I loved him and I will miss him. I know he has got those kangaroo skin cleats on being a player manager up in Glory. Thanks Coach Kevin McGehee

Jonathan, Diana, & Fiona,  We are so sorry about the loss of your dad, father-in-law and grandfather.  We have been out of town and were not able to get by to see you but wanted you to know you are in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.  We still have very fond memories of you all and would love to have seen you.  Love, Kaye and Ed Houk

We will miss you, "Rabbit"....John Yount, umpire

Dear Martha and Whitten family thank you for the sacrafices you made and for sharing Coach with us for all those years. My family and I are sorry to hear about your loss. There are so many memories I have of our days at Belmont with Coach Whitten and the other players. God Bless you Coach Whitten.

Billy and Mary May (Nashville, TN)

What a wonderful coach and a lifelong friend! You will be greatly missed, coach! Your legacy is the hundreds of baseball players who were blessed to play for you. You impacted our lives  in such a positive way and forever changed our lives.I count myself most fortunate to call you both coach and friend. Rest in Peace. We will see you again!

Jerry Wheeler (Wheels) 1976-1979

Ms. Whitten I m very sorry to  hear of Coaches passing! Belmont has lost a great ambassador for the game of baseball and an even greater person! I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to know you and coach and will always 
appreciate the way you and coach treated me and my family! Coach 
Whitten was a man of God and I 
am thankful for how he represented Belmont with character and 
integrity! I am a much better person for having known him! God bless you Ms. Whitten and your kids!

Coach Dave Whitten was a best friend, a mentor and epitomized all that is great about life and baseball.  If it wasn't for Coach, I would not have continued on at Belmont, instead leaving Nashville without facing badly needed adversity.  As it turned out, I have 21 years in Nashville to thank him for as the Whitten family became an extension of my own.  I had the privilege of rooming with him on the road on many baseball trips and he is the reason that I will always be a student of the game of baseball.  He taught me the most about the game that has beoome part of my career and life. And for Belmont, you have lost someone who defined you.  I hope the University reconizes his importance to so many alumni.  I am so thankful that it has been a seemless transition from Dave's at Belmont (Whitten to Jarvis).  Belmont Baseball is in terrific hands. To Ms. Whitten, John David, Mary Ruth and Molly (Molly, please say hello to Todd) thank you for unselfishly sharing your father with us, even when it meant not seeing him as much as you would have liked to.  Coach Whitten had an extraordinary life, one I hope that I can measure up to.  Coach Whitten, the Last True Belmont Rebel.

Although I can't be with you while you remember your loved one, you're in my thoughts from afar.

Jean and I were saddened to hear of Dave's passing. He was always my fovorite uncle. The year he lived with us in Lewisburg was a special time for me also the summers in Quinnamont are really remembered. Dave in Tommy taught me to swim by tossing me out of the boat in New River. I must ask your forgivness for never coming to visit you but Dave will always remain dear to my heart. May the Lord bless you and comfort you in this time of loss.

To Martha and family I am so sorry for your loss. I have many fond memories from my contact with you all over the years

Molly, Tony, and Family, we are so sorry for your loss.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you.  

Danny and Pam Cooper (Unionville, TN)

Martha, Bettie and I are remembering you during this time of sorrow.
Bill and Bettie Clemmons

Dear Martha and Family,
Nancy and I were so sorry to hear about Dave. He was like a brother to me growing up and through the years. I have great memories! Nancy always loved calling you "Aunt Martha" You and your family are in our prayers! Our love and sympathy,Bill and Nancy

To his players and those that were associated with him in baseball Coach Dave Whitten was known as "Coach".  This speaks volumes as to the man he was and the legacy that continues today through each of his players.  Coach taught us to have integrity, play for the right reasons, and to care about our teammates.  He taught us to respect the opportunity that baseball had given us to get an excellent education.  Each time we put on the Belmont uniform it was an honor.  Coach taught us that.  He also taught us to enjoy the time we had together. Coach taught us to be men.  We will miss him and he will be remembered. Coach was a great man and always had a good word to say.  I thank God for the influence Coach had on my life.

Dear Martha and family, Please know we are thinking of you and holding you close to our hearts here in WV. We have so many wonderful memories of Dave, your family and good times together. He was a very special Uncle along with the other Whitten "Boys!" Much love and sincere sympathy to each of you.Mary

Molly, you will not remember us but we taught you in a Church Training class while members at Judson Baptist Church many years ago.  If our memory serves us correctly, you would have been around 10 years old.  We remember fondly how your Dad would bring you to class and pick you up after class was over.  You were such a Daddy's girl.  So sorry to learn of your loss.  He was a wonderful man and you and your family were blessed to have him in your lives.

Whitten Family
Please accept my sympathy for your loss.  All of us have lost a truly remarkable person.  Coach worked very hard while at Belmont University.  That is when I knew him.  He was always working on the "field".  
Jan Mahone

Dear Mary Ruth - we are so sorry to hear about your loss. We love you and will be thinking about you and your family, and keep you all in our prayers. 

Love,
Keith, Renee, Amy, Mindy and Julie

Whitten Family, I am so sorry for your loss.  I know from Mary Ruth what a great man David was.  I'm sure that he will be greatly missed.  Take comfort in knowing that he is resting in the arms of Jesus and your separation is only temporary.  What a great reunion you will have one day in a much better place than this.

OBITUARY

David F. Whitten

March 16, 1928 – September 19, 2012

Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home & Woodlawn Memorial Park

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