William Whitmire

William Joshua Whitmire passed away at age 31 on June, 21, 2020. Will was the kindest and gentlest of souls, and he was the most loyal of friends. He loved his family and friends deeply and thoughtfully and showed it through action more than words. Will loved music and could play a host of instruments, but especially enjoyed the guitar and base guitar and greatly valued his time playing and touring with I Am Love for several years. Will also loved skateboarding from a young age and rarely left home without his board. As a seeker of adventure, he also enjoyed snowboarding, hiking to find swimming holes and motorcycles. He was also a talented artist who loved to sketch. Though reserved at times with his slight, shy smile, to know Will you know he loved to talk and appreciated a good conversation. He was people oriented and also graced with the best sense of humor. He had a gift of seeing things and saying a line at just the right moment to keep whoever he was with lighthearted and laughing. He was a man who showed love and care and respect even in the toughest of times, and he will be incredibly missed by his family and friends.

Will’s final years were marked by a cycle of addiction that he battled hard against, and many of those battles he won. Though he succumbed to the addiction in the end, his story is not over but just beginning. His story contains so much beauty because even in the depths of struggle he walked the road with humility. His family says often that we’ve learned more from him than almost anyone else, and though the pain of loss runs deep, we are thankful for the way Will chose to live battling these last few years with such honesty and courage—and we will continue to tell his story. His favorite Bible verse as a kid was Isaiah 40:31, “”Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” From this we take great hope that Will is now no longer weary but his strength has been renewed, his battle ultimately won, and his life crowned with love and mercy by Jesus whose understanding is unsearchable and whose steadfast love is from everlasting to everlasting.

Will is survived by his parents, Bill and Karol Whitmire; his sister Katherine Teague and her husband Marshall and their three kids, AnnCarter, Haddie and Camp Teague; his sister, Mary Ellen Whitmire; his maternal grandmother, Ernestine Kincaid; and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins.

Will was always thinking of ways to help others with similar struggles. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made toward scholarship funds for those seeking recovery at Recovery Centers of America. Checks can be sent to Recovery Centers of America c/o Alumni Association 2701 Renaissance Blvd. King of Prussia, PA 19406. Please write “In Memory of Will Whitmire” in the memo line. Contributions may also be sent to Recovery Advocates of America 2117 NJ-33 Hamilton Township, NJ 08690 following the same instructions.

Our family is so grateful for all of the love and support that’s been poured out on us by all!