Obituary of Douglas Alexander Whittle

Douglas Alexander Whittle, 73, died at Summerville Medical Center on February 27, 2021 from complications of Covid-19. Doug was born in Elizabeth, NJ on April 18, 1947 to Edward D. Whittle and Christina S. Whittle. Doug’s sister Barbara was born 4 years later. Their childhood was spent in Berkeley Heights, NJ with summers spent on the Metedeconck River at the Jersey Shore. Doug’s love for the water endured for his entire life.  As a teenager, Doug was a lifeguard at Camp of the Woods in Speculator, NY and as an adult, most vacations were centered around water.

Doug attended The King’s College, Briarcliff Manor, NY where he met his wife-to-be, Katherine Yeaworth. He joined the Air Force in 1967 and he and Kathy were married on February 10, 1968. They were stationed in Berlin, Germany until 1971 and returned to Pennsylvania where Doug graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Art from West Chester University. Their daughter, Alisa, was born in 1975 and she was always the greatest joy of Doug’s life.

Doug began to feel a call to Christian ministry and enrolled at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Philadelphia, PA, graduating in 1980. During his Seminary days, Doug took his first trip to the Holy Land which led him over the years to lead many groups to Israel where he was affiliated with the Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies.

Doug’s first pastorate was at Calvary Baptist Church in Belmar, NJ. With the parsonage only 5 blocks from the ocean, Doug could often be found writing his sermons while sitting on the beach. With the desire to better counsel parishioners, Doug returned to Eastern Seminary where he earned a Doctorate in Marriage and Family. For graduation, the family and Doug’s mom Chris spent 3 weeks in England and Scotland, visiting relatives in Glasgow where Chris was born.

Doug’s next church was First Baptist Church in Pedricktown, NJ where his tenure was short but the friendships have endured. Eastern Seminary recruited Doug as Director of Alumni which eventually led to the position of Director of Development. Doug was recruited by Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA and the family moved to Santa Clarita, CA in 1998. A favorite part of Doug’s duties included trips to Hawaii where Kathy often joined him.  After Fuller, Doug was Director of Advancement at Keck School of Medicine/Norris Cancer Center at University of Southern California in Los Angeles. In 2003 Doug established a Christian counseling center in Santa Clarita. With the hopes of retiring, Doug and Kathy moved to Summerville, SC in 2005.

Retirement was not to be and Doug began working at Lowcountry Pastoral Counseling Center on James Island. He eventually took a position as an assessment clinician at Palmetto Lowcountry Behavioral Health in North Charleston where he worked until his death.

A talented and prolific artist, Doug’s passion for drawing resulted in hundreds of new works in the last three years.  His friends and coworkers were delighted to receive a painting from Doug on special occasions and he has left Kathy and Alisa with an amazing legacy of his work.

While in California, Doug and Kathy were part of a new church plant in Santa Clarita where they led several small groups. In Summerville, Doug joined St. Paul’s Anglican where he and Kathy were in a small group with couples who became treasured friends. Doug’s faith in Jesus began as a small child and was still manifested as he fought valiantly in the hospital to beat Covid. As people around the world were praying for him, Doug’s healing came when God called him to his Heavenly home where he is indeed whole and rejoicing in the presence of his Savior.

Doug is survived by his wife Kathy, daughter Alisa and her husband, Ryan Semmes, of Starkville, MS, his sister Barbara and her husband Ed of Mariaville, ME, his cousins who were more like siblings, Dave (Mary) and Pat Haddon of Hampton, NJ, and a large, loving, extended family.

 

Services are planned as follows:

April 18, 2021 at 2:00

St. Paul’s Anglican Church

 

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