Richard Dale Whittaker

Richard Dale Whittaker, 85, a proud resident of Northwest Arkansas for the last 58 years, transcended from this life on Monday, July 13, 2026 in Huntsville, AR.

Richard, born on September 28, 1940, in Stonewall, OK was the youngest child of Slater & Ola Mae (Latham) Whittaker.  After moving to Crane, Texas, Richard attended grade school and Crane High School where he was an accomplished athlete excelling in football and boxing.  Richard would go on to marry his high school sweetheart, Norma Lee Horne, in Dec. 1960.  

Richard volunteered for military service soon thereafter and proudly served our country in the US Army receiving the rank of Light Weapons Infantryman and earning badges as both a parachutist and marksmen.

Upon relocating to Northwest Arkansas in 1968, Richard’s long history of contributions in and around Northwest Arkansas area began. He worked closely with Gene George in the early days of George’s Inc.  He would eventually go on to work for the City of Springdale as both their City Building Inspector and head of Traffic & Signalization. Over this time Richard resided in Berryville, Springdale, Marble, Kingston and Huntsville.  

Richard met and married his second wife, Betty Lou Bowen Whittaker, in June 1972.  Richard lost Betty to a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer after 41 years of marriage.  He would later marry Louise Coggin on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2014. 

Richard, like his father before him, was the hardest of workers who loved nothing more than fixing and building things.  He found immense joy in building and then working in his own personal shop on the Kingston family farm.  He was a beekeeper who also built his own sawmill and he was powerless under the spell of an alluring backhoe or bulldozer.  He raised sheep and some cattle along the way, all under the watchful eye of some mighty fine farm dogs & cats.  This was his heaven on Earth.

Richard joins in eternal grace his mother and father, lovingly known as Mamaw & Papaw, brothers Donald and Winford Whittaker, sister Eunice Jenkins, and wives Norma Horne, Betty Bowen and Louise Coggin.

“Pa” Richard’s memory will be held closest by his four daughters, Kimberly Whittaker (Michelle) of Boise, ID, Tonya White of Witter, AR, Sonya Worley (Tim) of Huntsville and Jacquetta Rivard (Russ) of Keller, TX; son, William "Bill" Mason (Katharine) of Springdale; grandchildren, Rachel, Rebekah, Jessi, Levi, Austin, Madison, Jacie-Rae, Ariel and Sasha; great grandchildren, Aden, Addy, Hudson, Declan, Alex, Jaxon, Jovanni, Sofia, Rebel and Jayden and many other family members and dear friends.

A visitation will be held Sunday, July 19, 2026, from 2:00-4:00 pm in the Chapel of the Madison County Funeral Service, 4373 S. Main St in Hindsville.  A funeral service will be Monday, July 20, 2026 at 11:00 am at the First Assembly of God Church in Huntsville with Pastor Alex Foster officiating. Burial will immediately follow at Liberty Cemetery near Dry Fork. Pallbearers will be: Levi White, Austin Rivard, Alex Mason, Jaxon Crutchfield, Jovanni Smith and Jayden Barnett. Funeral services are under the direction of Madison County Funeral Service.

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