Whitaker, former state lawmaker
Thomas P. Whitaker
Jr. served eight years in
the Legislature and many
more as a lawyer in Tampa. He was 75.
Thomas P. Whitaker, Jr., a Tampa native who served eight years in the state Legislature, practiced law for more than a quarter century and delighted in doing crossword puzzles in pen, died Wednesday after a period of declining health. He was 75. "He was one of the easiest people to sit down and talk to," said Robbie Blount, Mr. Whitaker's stepson. "He got along with anyone and everyone. He was one of the best dads you could ever have, a real family man." Mr. Whitaker graduated from Plant High School and earned an accounting degree from the University of Tennessee. He served 2 1/2 as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. "He loved the fact that he was a Marine," said his brother, Robert Whitaker, 70. After graduating from the University of Florida law school, Mr. Whitaker returned to Tampa and joined the Whitaker Brothers law firm to work with his father, Tom, and his uncles, Pat and D.B. He was, his brother said, bitten by the political bug soon thereafter (Pat Whitaker had served as president of the Florida Senate from 1931 to 1933). So in 1958, Mr. Whitaker set out to run for the state House of Representatives. His brother recalls them crisscrossing the county together, stopping in small stores and gas stations to stump. "We tried to cover all of Hillsborough County, just shaking hands," Robert Whitaker said. Mr. Whitaker won that election, and he won again in 1960. In 1962, he ran for the Florida Senate and won that, too. He also won a re-election bid in 1966, but it was short-lived. In January 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Florida's voting districts did not properly reflect the state's demographics. Incumbent legislators were thrown out and new elections held. Mr. Whitaker, a Democrat, lost to Republican Joseph McClain, whom he had defeated only months earlier by 3,000 votes. "That was a great blow to him," Robert Whitaker said. Mr. Whitaker never entered the political arena again. He returned to practicing law, mostly criminal cases. He represented such figures as Jimmy Donofrio, a felon suspected of ties to organized crime. The two, according to old newspaper clippings, also were business partners. Mr. Whitaker loved football. "He just went crazy when the Bucs came (to Tampa) in 1976," said Robert Whitaker. "That sort of blew his mind." He also cheered for the University of Florida football team. Family members said he rejoiced when coach Steve Spurrier led the Gators to a conference championship and later to a national title. "He really grooved on that," Robert Whitaker said. Mr. Whitaker liked to hunt with his brother and father, especially during the holiday season. He liked to read about history, particularly the Civil War. He is survived by his second wife, Alida, three sons, a daughter, two stepsons, four grandchildren and one brother. Mr. Whitaker will be cremated, but the family plans to hold a memorial service today at 3 p.m. at the Garden of Memories Cemetery.
Tampa Bay Times - 13 Dec 2003, Sat
h/o Nancy (Thompson) Whitaker m1951-1975
h/o Alida Lou (Mosley) Blount Whitaker m1976
s/o Thomas Pleasant and Ruth (Hutcheson) Whitaker
children:
Thomas Whitaker, Jr.
Anne (Whitaker) Butz
[twin] Richard Whitaker
[twin] Robert Pleasant Whitaker (1958-2015)
Thomas P. Whitaker
Jr. served eight years in
the Legislature and many
more as a lawyer in Tampa. He was 75.
Thomas P. Whitaker, Jr., a Tampa native who served eight years in the state Legislature, practiced law for more than a quarter century and delighted in doing crossword puzzles in pen, died Wednesday after a period of declining health. He was 75. "He was one of the easiest people to sit down and talk to," said Robbie Blount, Mr. Whitaker's stepson. "He got along with anyone and everyone. He was one of the best dads you could ever have, a real family man." Mr. Whitaker graduated from Plant High School and earned an accounting degree from the University of Tennessee. He served 2 1/2 as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. "He loved the fact that he was a Marine," said his brother, Robert Whitaker, 70. After graduating from the University of Florida law school, Mr. Whitaker returned to Tampa and joined the Whitaker Brothers law firm to work with his father, Tom, and his uncles, Pat and D.B. He was, his brother said, bitten by the political bug soon thereafter (Pat Whitaker had served as president of the Florida Senate from 1931 to 1933). So in 1958, Mr. Whitaker set out to run for the state House of Representatives. His brother recalls them crisscrossing the county together, stopping in small stores and gas stations to stump. "We tried to cover all of Hillsborough County, just shaking hands," Robert Whitaker said. Mr. Whitaker won that election, and he won again in 1960. In 1962, he ran for the Florida Senate and won that, too. He also won a re-election bid in 1966, but it was short-lived. In January 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Florida's voting districts did not properly reflect the state's demographics. Incumbent legislators were thrown out and new elections held. Mr. Whitaker, a Democrat, lost to Republican Joseph McClain, whom he had defeated only months earlier by 3,000 votes. "That was a great blow to him," Robert Whitaker said. Mr. Whitaker never entered the political arena again. He returned to practicing law, mostly criminal cases. He represented such figures as Jimmy Donofrio, a felon suspected of ties to organized crime. The two, according to old newspaper clippings, also were business partners. Mr. Whitaker loved football. "He just went crazy when the Bucs came (to Tampa) in 1976," said Robert Whitaker. "That sort of blew his mind." He also cheered for the University of Florida football team. Family members said he rejoiced when coach Steve Spurrier led the Gators to a conference championship and later to a national title. "He really grooved on that," Robert Whitaker said. Mr. Whitaker liked to hunt with his brother and father, especially during the holiday season. He liked to read about history, particularly the Civil War. He is survived by his second wife, Alida, three sons, a daughter, two stepsons, four grandchildren and one brother. Mr. Whitaker will be cremated, but the family plans to hold a memorial service today at 3 p.m. at the Garden of Memories Cemetery.
Tampa Bay Times - 13 Dec 2003, Sat
h/o Nancy (Thompson) Whitaker m1951-1975
h/o Alida Lou (Mosley) Blount Whitaker m1976
s/o Thomas Pleasant and Ruth (Hutcheson) Whitaker
children:
Thomas Whitaker, Jr.
Anne (Whitaker) Butz
[twin] Richard Whitaker
[twin] Robert Pleasant Whitaker (1958-2015)
Whitaker, former state lawmaker
Thomas P. Whitaker
Jr. served eight years in
the Legislature and many
more as a lawyer in Tampa. He was 75.
Thomas P. Whitaker, Jr., a Tampa native who served eight years in the state Legislature, practiced law for more than a quarter century and delighted in doing crossword puzzles in pen, died Wednesday after a period of declining health. He was 75. "He was one of the easiest people to sit down and talk to," said Robbie Blount, Mr. Whitaker's stepson. "He got along with anyone and everyone. He was one of the best dads you could ever have, a real family man." Mr. Whitaker graduated from Plant High School and earned an accounting degree from the University of Tennessee. He served 2 1/2 as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. "He loved the fact that he was a Marine," said his brother, Robert Whitaker, 70. After graduating from the University of Florida law school, Mr. Whitaker returned to Tampa and joined the Whitaker Brothers law firm to work with his father, Tom, and his uncles, Pat and D.B. He was, his brother said, bitten by the political bug soon thereafter (Pat Whitaker had served as president of the Florida Senate from 1931 to 1933). So in 1958, Mr. Whitaker set out to run for the state House of Representatives. His brother recalls them crisscrossing the county together, stopping in small stores and gas stations to stump. "We tried to cover all of Hillsborough County, just shaking hands," Robert Whitaker said. Mr. Whitaker won that election, and he won again in 1960. In 1962, he ran for the Florida Senate and won that, too. He also won a re-election bid in 1966, but it was short-lived. In January 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Florida's voting districts did not properly reflect the state's demographics. Incumbent legislators were thrown out and new elections held. Mr. Whitaker, a Democrat, lost to Republican Joseph McClain, whom he had defeated only months earlier by 3,000 votes. "That was a great blow to him," Robert Whitaker said. Mr. Whitaker never entered the political arena again. He returned to practicing law, mostly criminal cases. He represented such figures as Jimmy Donofrio, a felon suspected of ties to organized crime. The two, according to old newspaper clippings, also were business partners. Mr. Whitaker loved football. "He just went crazy when the Bucs came (to Tampa) in 1976," said Robert Whitaker. "That sort of blew his mind." He also cheered for the University of Florida football team. Family members said he rejoiced when coach Steve Spurrier led the Gators to a conference championship and later to a national title. "He really grooved on that," Robert Whitaker said. Mr. Whitaker liked to hunt with his brother and father, especially during the holiday season. He liked to read about history, particularly the Civil War. He is survived by his second wife, Alida, three sons, a daughter, two stepsons, four grandchildren and one brother. Mr. Whitaker will be cremated, but the family plans to hold a memorial service today at 3 p.m. at the Garden of Memories Cemetery.
Tampa Bay Times - 13 Dec 2003, Sat
h/o Nancy (Thompson) Whitaker m1951-1975
h/o Alida Lou (Mosley) Blount Whitaker m1976
s/o Thomas Pleasant and Ruth (Hutcheson) Whitaker
children:
Thomas Whitaker, Jr.
Anne (Whitaker) Butz
[twin] Richard Whitaker
[twin] Robert Pleasant Whitaker (1958-2015)
Thomas P. Whitaker
Jr. served eight years in
the Legislature and many
more as a lawyer in Tampa. He was 75.
Thomas P. Whitaker, Jr., a Tampa native who served eight years in the state Legislature, practiced law for more than a quarter century and delighted in doing crossword puzzles in pen, died Wednesday after a period of declining health. He was 75. "He was one of the easiest people to sit down and talk to," said Robbie Blount, Mr. Whitaker's stepson. "He got along with anyone and everyone. He was one of the best dads you could ever have, a real family man." Mr. Whitaker graduated from Plant High School and earned an accounting degree from the University of Tennessee. He served 2 1/2 as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. "He loved the fact that he was a Marine," said his brother, Robert Whitaker, 70. After graduating from the University of Florida law school, Mr. Whitaker returned to Tampa and joined the Whitaker Brothers law firm to work with his father, Tom, and his uncles, Pat and D.B. He was, his brother said, bitten by the political bug soon thereafter (Pat Whitaker had served as president of the Florida Senate from 1931 to 1933). So in 1958, Mr. Whitaker set out to run for the state House of Representatives. His brother recalls them crisscrossing the county together, stopping in small stores and gas stations to stump. "We tried to cover all of Hillsborough County, just shaking hands," Robert Whitaker said. Mr. Whitaker won that election, and he won again in 1960. In 1962, he ran for the Florida Senate and won that, too. He also won a re-election bid in 1966, but it was short-lived. In January 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Florida's voting districts did not properly reflect the state's demographics. Incumbent legislators were thrown out and new elections held. Mr. Whitaker, a Democrat, lost to Republican Joseph McClain, whom he had defeated only months earlier by 3,000 votes. "That was a great blow to him," Robert Whitaker said. Mr. Whitaker never entered the political arena again. He returned to practicing law, mostly criminal cases. He represented such figures as Jimmy Donofrio, a felon suspected of ties to organized crime. The two, according to old newspaper clippings, also were business partners. Mr. Whitaker loved football. "He just went crazy when the Bucs came (to Tampa) in 1976," said Robert Whitaker. "That sort of blew his mind." He also cheered for the University of Florida football team. Family members said he rejoiced when coach Steve Spurrier led the Gators to a conference championship and later to a national title. "He really grooved on that," Robert Whitaker said. Mr. Whitaker liked to hunt with his brother and father, especially during the holiday season. He liked to read about history, particularly the Civil War. He is survived by his second wife, Alida, three sons, a daughter, two stepsons, four grandchildren and one brother. Mr. Whitaker will be cremated, but the family plans to hold a memorial service today at 3 p.m. at the Garden of Memories Cemetery.
Tampa Bay Times - 13 Dec 2003, Sat
h/o Nancy (Thompson) Whitaker m1951-1975
h/o Alida Lou (Mosley) Blount Whitaker m1976
s/o Thomas Pleasant and Ruth (Hutcheson) Whitaker
children:
Thomas Whitaker, Jr.
Anne (Whitaker) Butz
[twin] Richard Whitaker
[twin] Robert Pleasant Whitaker (1958-2015)
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