William "Bill" Whiteman 1938 - 2024

William (Bill) Allen Whiteman passed away peacefully on December 13, 2024, after spending his final days surrounded by loved ones; he was 86 years old. Bill was born September 9, 1938, in Grants Pass, Oregon, the only child of Blanche and Emmett Whiteman.

Bill grew up on the Oregon coast and attended Marshfield High School, joining the Air Force upon graduation. After being medically discharged, Bill spent a couple years attending San Francisco City College and Oregon State University studying Horticulture.

In 1959, Bill married Patricia Haddix, and the young couple moved to Bend, Oregon, to start a family and a career in the flower shop business. As a florist, Bill was able to tap into his artistic and creative side, while stretching his entrepreneurial spirit, a spirit that would guide him for a lifetime! From Bend, the family moved to Southern California, and worked in both Santa Barbara and Palm Springs. While in Palm Springs, Bill provided floral arrangements for the who’s who of Hollywood whenever they vacationed at their desert retreats. His biggest brush with celebrity was when he created floral arrangements for John F. Kennedy during one of his infamous holidays in Palm Springs.

As his family grew, Bill decided that raising children among the celebrity crowd of Southern California wasn’t the best choice; they moved to Cottage Grove, Oregon, where he opened a florist shop on Main Street. As his business grew, so did his involvement in the community. Bill was naturally curious and had an innate need to be involved, belonging to the JCs, Chamber of Commerce, Lemati Gang and Bohemian Mining Days committee. In 1970, while serving as president of Bohemian Mining Days, Bill decided to have Cottage Grove resident Scotty Swift, the National Poster Child for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, serve as Grand Marshal of the annual parade. He then asked Swift to invite comedian Jerry Lewis to join him. Lewis happily obliged, and Cottage Grove welcomed one of the biggest celebrities of the times. Bill was also a member of the volunteer fire department, during which time he received a special “accommodation” as William “PYRO” Whiteman after having a brush fire get out of control and burn several acres of land in what is now Middlefield Golf Course.

One day over coffee, he learned there was a need for someone to announce high school sports on KNND radio, and he jumped at the opportunity. That led to a decade of on-air experience that included hosting the Beeper Show, a local morning talk show that allowed Bill to discuss politics, current events, music, and any other topic that interested him. As his radio interest faded, Bill’s entrepreneurial drive led him to selling cars, the antique business, the auctioneering business, and rodeo announcing. In 1976, Bill took a job working with longtime friend Darrel Williams as a manager of Pinocchio’s Pizza. Two years later, the two of them, along with Lynn Wilson, opened The Vintage Inn Restaurant. Running the restaurant would be Bill’s primary role for several years until he opened The Bakery on Main.

Being on the radio and in business for himself wasn’t enough to fill Bill’s never-fading drive, so in 1974 he ran for and won a seat on the City Council. He always believed that if you want something to change, you must be a participant, not a spectator. After four years as a Councilman, Bill spent the next six years as the Mayor of Cottage Grove. Serving as Mayor was one of the most personally gratifying roles Bill had in his entire life!

In 1991, while attending his 35th class reunion in Coos Bay, Bill’s life changed forever. There, he was reintroduced to a woman he had known throughout school. From that day on, Gail Holte became the love of Bill’s life. Bill and Gail were married in 1994, and spent the next 30 years living in pure happiness. During that time, Bill continued his entrepreneurial gifts by starting BWE Backflow and, in 1999, became a City Councilman in the city of Sherwood, Oregon. Bill and Gail eventually settled in McMinnville, Oregon, and wintered in Mesa, Arizona.

Bill is survived by his loving wife, Gail; three children, Kim Lang, Robert (Ricky) Whiteman, and Jeff (Stacy) Whiteman; four step-children, Renae (Karl) Granlund, Randy Schiff, Robin (Kelly) Coste, and Ryan Schiff; 17 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Bill's Life will be held in January in Cottage Grove.