1923
Maxie
2007
Maxie Whittington
May 30, 1923 — April 7, 2007
MAXIE COOPER WHITTINGTON
HARLINGEN, TX: With the strength, dignity and grace that characterized her remarkable life, and surrounded by her family, Maxie “Noni” Cooper Whittington, aged 83, departed for yet another adventure on Saturday, April 7, 2007.
Maxie was born in Champion, Texas on May 30, 1923 to Eugene “Chicken” Cooper and Ora “Granny Goose” Cooper. Maxie was a vivacious and popular beauty queen in Roscoe, the small West Texas town where she grew up. At 16 she was elected Queen and Sweetheart of Roscoe High School. That same year she was struck with a crippling case of polio, an event that would both challenge her physically throughout her life and also help develop her spirit, sense of humor and determination. Unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair, Maxie became a patient and resident of Baylor Hospital in Dallas for more than two years. Maxie and a newfound (and lifelong) friend Mary Jane, became the teenage terrors of the ward leaving mischief, consternation and laughter in their wake.
A body brace accompanied Maxie on her return to Roscoe. She finished high school and fell in love with Lt. Leonard Hillman Whittington, a dashing Army Air Corps pilot. Maxie and Hillman were married in Dayton, Ohio in 1942. After only two, poignant weeks of marriage, Hillman was sent to the Pacific and was killed in action at the Battle of Midway. Maxie, now a nineteen year old widow and recovering polio survivor, returned to Roscoe and began her long employment career working first for Dr. Young, the local country doctor, as receptionist, secretary, bookkeeper, nurse and midwife.
Maxie eventually remarried and, despite her polio, she worked and raised two children, Randolph Kimble and Candace Leah. After moving to the Texas gulf coast, Austin, and finally the Dallas area, Maxie began a career with Hewlett Packard in Richardson, Texas, where she worked for more than two decades.
Long before her retirement, post-polio syndrome became an increasingly significant part of her physical life and eventually required the use of a mobility scooter – a constant and liberating companion. Her co-workers, friends and family remember and were always amazed by her independence, optimism, smile and personality. Even after retirement in the late 1980’s, Maxie and her scooter could not be reined in and were off exploring Hawaii, Nova Scotia, San Miguel de Allende, and other exotic destinations.
Maxie was christened “Noni” by her grandchildren Claire Duncan and Ramona, Matthew and Jason Whittington. Despite her inability to walk for the last three decades of her life, Noni never lost the capacity to surprise either her children or her grandchildren, to make them smile and or to take them on her adventures. Although the beautiful young farm girl from West Texas was dealt a tough hand, she conquered life and challenges all along the way and never lost her grace or spirit or sense of humor. She was smiling and laughing and making everyone around her do the same, even as she left.
Maxie is survived by her two children, Randolph Kimble Whittington (Merced Pérez Treviño) of Harlingen, and Candace Leah Bossay (Steve) of Dallas, her four grandchildren, Claire Duncan of Dallas, Matthew and Jason Whittington of Harlingen, and Ramona Whittington of Washington, D.C., her sister Mertie Jean Haynes (Harold) and brother Merril M. Cooper, M.D. (Charlotte), both of Abilene, Texas, as well as many loving nephews, nieces and cousins.
Graveside services will be at the Roscoe Cemetery in Roscoe, Texas at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 10, 2007. Family and friends are invited to gather afterwards to celebrate Maxie’s life at the home of Harold and Mertie Haynes, Circle 6, Mesa Springs (off Buffalo Gap Road) in Abilene, Texas.
For those wishing to do so, gifts or donations may be made in memory of Maxie Whittington for Ella Kinder in care of the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis, 8420 Delmar Blvd., Suite 506, St. Louis, Missouri 63124 or (314) 961-2504 or http://www.stlouisdsa.org.
HARLINGEN, TX: With the strength, dignity and grace that characterized her remarkable life, and surrounded by her family, Maxie “Noni” Cooper Whittington, aged 83, departed for yet another adventure on Saturday, April 7, 2007.
Maxie was born in Champion, Texas on May 30, 1923 to Eugene “Chicken” Cooper and Ora “Granny Goose” Cooper. Maxie was a vivacious and popular beauty queen in Roscoe, the small West Texas town where she grew up. At 16 she was elected Queen and Sweetheart of Roscoe High School. That same year she was struck with a crippling case of polio, an event that would both challenge her physically throughout her life and also help develop her spirit, sense of humor and determination. Unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair, Maxie became a patient and resident of Baylor Hospital in Dallas for more than two years. Maxie and a newfound (and lifelong) friend Mary Jane, became the teenage terrors of the ward leaving mischief, consternation and laughter in their wake.
A body brace accompanied Maxie on her return to Roscoe. She finished high school and fell in love with Lt. Leonard Hillman Whittington, a dashing Army Air Corps pilot. Maxie and Hillman were married in Dayton, Ohio in 1942. After only two, poignant weeks of marriage, Hillman was sent to the Pacific and was killed in action at the Battle of Midway. Maxie, now a nineteen year old widow and recovering polio survivor, returned to Roscoe and began her long employment career working first for Dr. Young, the local country doctor, as receptionist, secretary, bookkeeper, nurse and midwife.
Maxie eventually remarried and, despite her polio, she worked and raised two children, Randolph Kimble and Candace Leah. After moving to the Texas gulf coast, Austin, and finally the Dallas area, Maxie began a career with Hewlett Packard in Richardson, Texas, where she worked for more than two decades.
Long before her retirement, post-polio syndrome became an increasingly significant part of her physical life and eventually required the use of a mobility scooter – a constant and liberating companion. Her co-workers, friends and family remember and were always amazed by her independence, optimism, smile and personality. Even after retirement in the late 1980’s, Maxie and her scooter could not be reined in and were off exploring Hawaii, Nova Scotia, San Miguel de Allende, and other exotic destinations.
Maxie was christened “Noni” by her grandchildren Claire Duncan and Ramona, Matthew and Jason Whittington. Despite her inability to walk for the last three decades of her life, Noni never lost the capacity to surprise either her children or her grandchildren, to make them smile and or to take them on her adventures. Although the beautiful young farm girl from West Texas was dealt a tough hand, she conquered life and challenges all along the way and never lost her grace or spirit or sense of humor. She was smiling and laughing and making everyone around her do the same, even as she left.
Maxie is survived by her two children, Randolph Kimble Whittington (Merced Pérez Treviño) of Harlingen, and Candace Leah Bossay (Steve) of Dallas, her four grandchildren, Claire Duncan of Dallas, Matthew and Jason Whittington of Harlingen, and Ramona Whittington of Washington, D.C., her sister Mertie Jean Haynes (Harold) and brother Merril M. Cooper, M.D. (Charlotte), both of Abilene, Texas, as well as many loving nephews, nieces and cousins.
Graveside services will be at the Roscoe Cemetery in Roscoe, Texas at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 10, 2007. Family and friends are invited to gather afterwards to celebrate Maxie’s life at the home of Harold and Mertie Haynes, Circle 6, Mesa Springs (off Buffalo Gap Road) in Abilene, Texas.
For those wishing to do so, gifts or donations may be made in memory of Maxie Whittington for Ella Kinder in care of the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis, 8420 Delmar Blvd., Suite 506, St. Louis, Missouri 63124 or (314) 961-2504 or http://www.stlouisdsa.org.
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