This was the day, February 27th, 2018, that the Lord had made to take Steven Douglas Whitehead home to be with his family in Heaven. Steve went to bed on Monday night, February 26th, and died peacefully during the night.
Steven was born on May 31st, 1960, to Ollie Carden Whitehead and Clarence Walter Whitehead of Carter County. They were waiting at the River Jordan for him as was his brother, Clarence Walter Whitehead Jr., and his sister, Wanda Yvonne (Bonnie) Whitehead Ritchie Gentry. He was also preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Garfield and Ethel (Lacey) Whitehead, and his maternal grandparents, Laney James Carden and Alice (Teague) Carden. Many other uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends were there to receive him.
He is survived by a sister, Glenda Gail Whitehead McCracken, formerly of Hampton, Tenn., currently residing in Orfordville, Wis.; a brother-in-law, Leslie Lewis McCracken; niece, Christina McCracken, Orfordville, Wis.; nephews, John Joseph McCracken (Katie Jacoby), Madison, Wis., and Andrew Daniel Whitehead (Shanda Miller); great-niece, Kaila Zevon Whitehead, Johnson City, Tenn.; a guardian nephew, Jeffery Rutter, Oshkosh, Wis.; and brother-in-law, Michael Charles Gentry of Siam, as well as several aunts, uncles and cousins.
Steven was a member of Hampton First Baptist Church. A graduate of Hampton High and ETSU, he was a professional cook all of his life, beginning his career at Gus’s Greek Restaurant, Corpus Christi, Texas, and working at CornerStone (Appalachian Christian Village) when he passed. He will be missed by many co-workers and friends.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday, March 3. A service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Chapel of Peace, Tetrick Funeral Home, Elizabethton. Interment will follow at Happy Valley Memorial Park. Active pallbearers will be Michael Rich, Nathan Rankin, Arthur Kennedy, Danny Holden, Melvin Bentley and other family members and friends. Songs will be some of his favorite hymns and service by immediate family. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a no kill animal shelter for he dearly loved his cats/raccoons/deer/opossums/rabbits/birds/and even a bear that visited his backyard, or to the Pride Community Center of the Tri-Cities, P.O. Box 5277, Johnson City, TN 37602. Online condolences may be shared with the family on our website, www.tetrickfuneralhome.com.
Mr. Whitehead and his family are in the care of Tetrick Funeral Home, Elizabethton. Office: (423) 542-2232. Service Information Line: (423) 543-4917.