William Henry Whitfield's Obituary
William "Bill" Henry Whitfield, of Fayetteville, transitioned on Monday, June 17, 2013 at age 71. William H. Whitfield and Rose Strong Whitfield celebrated the birth of their youngest, Bill, on November 14, 1941 in Little Rock, AR. Bill gave his life to Christ at Union A.M.E. Church in Little Rock, AR and after retiring from his works in Africa, he joined St. James UMC in Fayetteville, AR.
Bill graduated from Townsend Park High School in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1959. He transferred from Horace Mann High School in Little Rock, as a result of Governor Orval Faubus closing the Little Rock School District in an effort to retain segregated schools. Bill went on to attend Arkansas AM&N College in Pine Bluff, AR where he and his brother Bob were active in the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. There he crossed the burning sands of the Omega land joining the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Bill went on to complete his undergraduate studies at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville earning a Bachelor of Science in Social Economics and a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics.
While attending the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Bill met the love of his life, Jimmye Dean Deffebaugh. June 6, 1965, Bill and Jimmye committed to love, cherish, and honor one another and did so faithfully for 48 years. From their union, came two wonderful children, Timberly Noe and Azande William. Shortly after their marriage, Bill and Jimmye relocated to Kansas City, MO where they unwaveringly worked with the Free Breakfast for School Children Program sponsored by the Black Panther Party.
In 1971, Bill and his family took a pilgrimage to the Motherland in Tanzania, East Africa. After realizing a higher calling, Bill and Jimmye were commissioned to serve as missionaries representing the United Methodist Church in Africa. While there, Bill and Jimmye passionately served in five countries: Tanzania, Nigeria, Liberia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.
Bill’s motto was “anything that might create a permanent state of dependency should be avoided at all cost. “ His commitment to nurturing self reliance and love for physical activity lead him to gardening, micro-farming, and teaching and training in martial arts. Bill earned a second degree black belt degree in Tae Kwon Do from his Master Instructor, Judge Victor Hill.
Bill's eternal love will continue to watch over his faithful wife, Jimmye Deffebaugh Whitfield, his children, Timberly (Bobby Allen) Whitfield, Azandé (Denise Hoy) Whitfield; his grandchildren Raina Allen, Alise Whitfield, and Gabriel Allen; his siblings George (Shirley) Whitfield, Billie (Ernest) Jacobs, John Whitfield, Robert (Constance) Whitfield, and Roberta (Hamlet) Kelley; his sisters in love Sharon Deffebaugh, Lillie Deffebaugh, brother in love Phil Deffebaugh; nieces, nephews, cousins, and a host of family and extended family throughout the earth. Bill's journey with Parkinson's was not alone. He was lifted by his extended stay in Israel with the Black Hebrew Israelites in Dimona. He was surrounded by earthly angels including his devoted wife, sister in love, Sharon, niece Gigi Holder, nephew Henry Lee Holder, smallest angel (in size) his granddaughter, Alise, Amelia Smith and family, therapists from Alliance Home Health, the Black Hebrew Israelites, Andrea Fournet’s Arkansas Yoga Center Community, and all who called, wrote, visited, smiled, laughed, prayed and encouraged him.
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