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Gary Whitener

March 2, 1938 - May 14, 2015

Gary Whitener, 77, of Farmington Hills, passed away unexpectedly on May 14, 2015.

Beloved husband of Sandra 'NEE Hall'; cherished father of Jon (Lisa) Whitener and Lisa (Edward) Austin; adored grandfather of James, Zachary, and Amelia Whitener and Olivia, Eddie and Samantha Austin.

Born to the late William F. and Gladys (Young) Whitener of Livonia, Gary was never one to sit around. He began his golf career by hitchhiking to a caddy job at Western Country Club at age 11. He was able to attend Michigan State University with a scholarship from the Evans Scholars Foundation.

After serving as an assistant golf pro at Tam O'Shanter, where he was mentored by Warren Orlick, and at Knollwood Country Club, Gary was hired by the city of Livonia to manage its municipal golf courses. Many will remember Gary from the Whispering Willows pro shop, not least the many assistants and employees he mentored from 1967 until retiring in 2000, when the driveway to Whispering Willows was officially proclaimed Gary Whitener Drive.

During his career, Gary served as president of the Michigan PGA and as a national PGA director, and was named the 1989 Michigan Golf Professional of the Year. Over the years, he supported various initiatives such as the Evans Scholars program at MSU and numerous charitable events.

Gary was a past owner of Brae Burn Golf Club (Plymouth) and the Links of Novi, and owner of the Links at Lake Erie (Monroe).

Most of all, Gary will be remembered by many for his sense of humor, his good-natured teasing, and his inability to go anywhere without running into a friend.

A memorial service will be held Monday, May 18, 2015 at 11 a.m. at McCabe Funeral Home, 31950 W. 12 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Western Golf Association Evans Scholars Foundation at wgaesf.org or

Evans Scholars Foundation
One Briar Road
Golf, IL 60029