2008
Gordon A. Whitt Sr., 84, who retired as community and public affairs director of the Washington Gas Light Co., died May 9 of
complications of leukemia at Suburban Hospital. He lived in North Bethesda.
Mr. Whitt was born in Ironton, Ohio, and came to Washington in his youth. He graduated from McKinley Tech High School and
served as an Army infantry soldier during World War II.
After the war, he graduated in 1949 from George Washington University, where he was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon
fraternity. He joined the accounting department of the Washington Gas Light Co. later that year and, in 1952, received a master's
of business administration degree from GWU.
In 1965, Mr. Whitt was promoted to manager of community services for Washington Gas and later to public affairs director. He
also represented Washington Gas as a lobbyist in Annapolis and on Capitol Hill. He retired in 1992.
Mr. Whitt served on many community boards and in other organizations. He was president of the Silver Spring Chamber of
Commerce in 1968, president of Rotary International's Silver Spring chapter in 1973 and president of the Montgomery County
Chamber of Commerce in 1974. He was on the board of directors of the American Red Cross and served two terms as
chairman of the American Red Cross of Montgomery County.
Mr. Whitt was also active with the Silver Spring Board of Trade, the American Heart Association, Toastmasters and his college
fraternity. He was a commander of the American Legion, Thad Dulin Post 59 in Montgomery County. He was a deacon and an
elder at Northwood Presbyterian Church in Silver Spring.
Throughout his life, Mr. Whitt enjoyed playing basketball, softball and tennis. Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Dorothy
Sutherland Whitt of North Bethesda; four children, Gordon A. Whitt Jr. and Cynthia Whitt Cotter, both of North Bethesda, Richard
S. Whitt of Washington and James G. Whitt of Olney; two brothers, Merle Whitt of Upper Marlboro and Dayle Whitt of
Charleston, S.C.; and five grandchildren.
-- Matt Schudel