OBITUARY

R. Wayne Wilhite, a longtime Costa Mesa resident, passed away Feb. 11. He

was 86.

Mr. Wilhite was born on Jan. 30, 1914, in Slater, Mo., to Reuben and

Jessie Wilhite. He and his family traveled by covered wagon from Kansas

to Colorado to Texas, seeking a climate compatible with his father’s

health needs.

After graduating from high school in Wichita, Kan., he rode the “blinds”

on the train to California, surviving on red onions, bread and water. He

graduated from Santa Ana Community College in Santa Ana, majoring in

accounting.

He met and married Gayle Toney on Aug. 13, 1939, and they moved to Laguna

Beach where he worked at the Bank of America and owned the local Courtesy

Cab Company. The family moved to Costa Mesa and Mr. Wilhite became a

partner in Hardacre-Wilhite & Associates, a bookkeeping and accounting

firm in Santa Ana.

After retiring, the couple traveled and then built a home in Cambria.

They lived there until they moved to Ventura to be closer to family.

While in Cambria, Mr. Wilhite founded the Cambria Recreational Golf Assn.

In Ventura, he was active in the Saticoy Senior Men’s Golf Club until his

health interfered.

Above all, Mr. Wilhite was a Christian who considered his faith to be his

strength. He served on the session and was a trustee at St. Andrew’s

Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach and always tried to be an example of

a good Christian in his daily life, as well as in his business practice.

He practiced his business skills at church, assisting with the finances,

and practiced his Christian beliefs at work by way of his honesty and

compassion. He was a quiet, patient, soft-spoken and hard-working man.

Mr. Wilhite is survived by his wife of 60 years, Gayle; a son and

grandson, Robert and Axel Wilhite of Los Angeles; a daughter, Pat Hopkins

of Ventura; grandson, Jon Hopkins of Camarillo; granddaughter and

great-grandson, Lisa and Andrew Lee of Ventura; and a brother, Cleo

Wilhite of Florida.

In addition, Mr. Wilhite had many other dear family members and friends

who will miss him.

The family would like to particularly thank several very special and dear

friends and relatives for helping maintain the vigil as Dad was making

ready to leave this life for a better one, and for your support

immediately afterward. Jo, Joe, Frank, Bob, Rose, Wayne, Shari, Lisa,

Ginette, Bill, Eddie, Jerry, Raidena, Bill and William, we thank you for

loving Dad as we did.