Obituary of George Robert Whitley

George Robert Whitley

Colonel, US Army (Retired)

 

Col. George R. Whitley, 87, of Herndon died peacefully on January 2, 2021 of Myelodysplastic Syndrome at Capital Caring Adler Center.

George is survived by his devoted wife Candace Ballard; son James Whitley (Susan) of Winchester; daughter Ellen Moyer of Vienna; grandsons Matthew, Adam and John; brother Jack Whitley (Linda) of Chula Vista, CA; sister Patricia West of Daly City, CA; sister-in-law Barbara Torok of Vienna; brother-in-law Ralph Ballard (Debra Welch) of North Brookfield, MA; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.  Although his marriage to Marlyn Brase Whitley ended in divorce, they remained lifelong friends.

George earned his BA from Pomona College and his MS from George Washington University.  He attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the US Army Command and General Staff College.  He was very proud of his 27-year career in the US Army with tours in Germany, Vietnam, Turkey, and Korea.  His positions included Director, Defense Communications Engineering Center; Deputy Director, Communications-Electronics, US European Command; Office of the Secretary of Defense; Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army; and Commander, 39^th Signal Battalion, Republic of Vietnam.  After his retirement, George worked in communications program/systems management at CONTEL American Satellite Company, GTE Spacenet, and Hughes Network Systems.  George was a patron of the arts and loved the opera, Bach, dance and theater.  For most of his life he was an avid runner, enjoyed traveling, and preparing gourmet meals for family and friends.  George and his infectious laugh will be greatly missed by his family and friends. 

Services will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date. Donations may be made to Capital Caring Health, 3180 Fairview Drive, Suite 500, Falls Church, VA 22042 or Inova Health Foundation, 8110 Gatehouse Road, Suite 200 East, Falls Church, VA 22042.