Harold Eugene Whittaker

Harold Eugene Whittaker was born to Myrtle and Edward T. Whittaker in Hawksprings, Wyoming on October 9, 1921.  He passed away at the Nampa care center on September 26, 2015 at the age of 93.

Harold attended various schools in Wyoming and graduated from Laramie High School.  He left Wyoming in 1942, to enter the Army at Camp Roberts, California.  After a medical discharge from the Army after 6 months service, he returned to Idaho.  During the remainder of the War years, Harold worked at Gate City Steel, in Boise.

Harold was the third of twelve children and he loved his family very much.  He always seemed extremely proud of each and every one of his siblings and of all his nieces and nephews.    

Harold married Carrie Garnet (Brewster) Tomlinson in 1951 and resided in Boise.  Harold adopted Carrie's two children that same year, William and Shirley . They had two more children: Clifford  and James.  Carrie Garnet Whittaker passed away in 1963.  Harold raised the children on his own.

Harold worked various jobs until he went to work for the General Services Adminstration(GSA) in 1962, retiring from GSA in 1979.  He lived in Boise until July of 2015, when health problems forced him to enter the Nampa Care center.

Harold was an extremely mechanically-inclined person.  There are stories of taking apart his mechanical toys as a small child and of having a small workshop wherever he was living, where he would get his hands on anything with a motor, disassemble it and then try to get it running.  He loved working on cars and he really could fix almost anything.

Harold was known throughout the Treasure Valley as a collector. He collected old records, salt and pepper shakers and other types of collectibles.  His later collecting centered around old books.  He attended various auctions and flea markets to obtain his treasures.  He worked for many years at Boise Book Farm with his friend Ethel Ficks and her son, David.  Ethel later became his caregiver for the last few years of his life. 

Harold was preceeded in death by his parents, eight of his siblings, and three of his children: William, Shirley and Clifford. 

He is survived by his sister, Donna Johnston;  two brothers, Wilber and Vernon; his son, James, and wife, Karen.  Harold is also survived by  three grandchildren: Carrie Sisneros and her husband Fred; Kristy Rushing and her husband Dale; Jacob Whittaker and wife Heather.  Harold has nine great-grandchildren: Zachary, Matthew, Stephanie, Mackenzie, Dakota, Grace, Halia, Henry, and Rose.  There are five great-great-grandchildren: Renae, Emma, Kolbi, Piper, and Makaey.

A graveside service will be held at 3:00 P.M. Friday, Oct. 2, 2015 at the Kohlerlawn Cemetery, Nampa. Services are under the direction of the Nampa Funeral Home, Yraguen Chapel.  An online guest book is available at www.nampafuneralhome.com

 Service Information