Mr. James Forrester Whittaker, age 69 of The Villages, FL, passed away Wednesday, May 25, 2016.
   He was raised in Toms River, NJ, and after numerous deployments in the military he and his wife retired in Jacksonville, FL. where they lived for 23 years and moved to The Villages in 2013.
   Mr. Whittaker was a graduate of Kean College, Newark, NJ acquiring a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education. After graduation he joined the U.S. Army where he was accepted into U.S. Army Officer Candidate School after boot camp. He also graduated from Command and General Staff College. He retired in 1992 as a Lieutenant Colonel with the U.S. Army serving over 23 years with Special Forces. During that time he served in both the Vietnam War and Grenada conflict.
   After his retirement he was an active volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, St. Vincent DePaul Society, and Mission House Homeless Shelter all of the Jacksonville, FL. Area.  Mr. Whittaker was a member of the Village of Faith Baptist Church, Wildwood, FL.
   He was preceded in death by his parents Paul Bradley and Mildred Lynn Forrester Whittaker and Brother: Paul Jeffrey Whittaker Surviving are his wife: Ilene Whittaker, The Villages, FL; Sister: Janet (John) Mawson, Freehold, NJ; Sister in Law: Frances Whittaker, Naples, FL and several nephews.
   A Memorial Service will be held 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at the Village of Faith Baptist Church, Wildwood, FL where full military honors will be afforded for Mr. Whittaker. Interment will be at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL. Wednesday, June 1, 2016 at 10 a.m.. In lieu of flowers friends who wish may send memorials to The Michael J. Fox Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741 or Village of Faith Baptist Church, 8653 County Road, 127, Wildwood, FL. 34785.
  Arrangements entrusted to Beyers Funeral Home and Crematory, Lady Lake, FL,

[courtesy of Jesse Brincefield ]

   Major James Whittaker was the commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, 508th during the invasion of Grenada.

   The conflict, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, began on 25 October 1983, was led by the United States into the Caribbean island nation of Grenada, 100 miles north of Venezuela.

   James ultimately retired as a Lt. Colonel.