In memory of my favorite community college professor
Last week, Gordon Lee Whitman (1941-2026) passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. To me, he was Pip, the grandfather of my boys.
Whitman was born on Dec. 1, 1941, in Rainelle, West Virginia. He grew up in St. Albans attending public schools, and he graduated from St. Albans High School. He played baseball, basketball, and trombone in the band.
He went on to graduate from West Virginia University with a degree in biology, and then from The Ohio State University earning a graduate degree in educational psychology with a focus on counseling.
Whitman served as a counselor, educator, and adjunct professor for more than 50 years. He worked the first 18 years at Sandhills Community College in North Carolina, before spending the rest of his career at Tidewater Community College (TCC) in Virginia. It is conservatively estimated that he served more than 25,000 students over the course of his career.
“I would take this class 100x more.”
— Whitman’s students
“He made me thoroughly enjoy this class and has an infectious personality.”
“I truly loved having him as a prof. He is what all teachers should aim to be.”
A 2013 article in the Virginian-Pilot described Whitman as a “believer in positive psychology and one of the most popular professors on the Tidewater Community College campus here.”
In his lesson on teratogens, which are factors that negatively influence fetal development, he told his students he was equally curious about what he called “goodagens,” a word he made up to describe the many positive influences on fetal development.
The news article said, “Students are Whitman’s favorite part of the job.”
In 2012, Whitman was the recipient of the John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Award through the League for Innovation in the Community College, an alliance of more than 700 community colleges and universities worldwide. The award recognized Whitman for his outstanding contributions to teaching, leadership, and learning.
“I just love teaching,” said Whitman.
He called winning the award the capstone of his career. TCC called his contributions and leadership “unparalleled.”
After graduating from high school, Whitman trained at Fort Benning in Georgia, and then he served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii. His father and two uncles had served our country, and Whitman saw them as heroes. He said of his own service, “I never waivered. I never had a doubt.”
Whitman did a yearlong tour of duty in Vietnam on a base near Saigon, where as a first lieutenant, he worked overnight to prepare the daily situation report. He earned a Bronze Star for his service.
An interview documenting his leadership in Vietnam, conducted in 2018, will now be offered to the Southern Oral History Project.
His favorite memories included the birth of his four children, time spent at Blue Bend and on the Greenbrier River in West Virginia, attending the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, running 75 marathons, and working with the Australian Labradoodles bred by his family. He loved to yo-yo, and he made the best French toast ever.
Whitman was a person of faith, having been saved in 10th grade. He called prayer “part of the routine between the Lord and me.” He prayed anytime, anywhere, but he had what he called a “functional prayer” nightly.
He is survived by his beloved children and grandchildren.
“We should tell each other we love each other,” said Whitman. “Not just because we need to, but because we want to.”
Rest easy, Pip. Love, Sissy