Joseph H. Whilden

Joe Whilden, 89, of Kingsport, passed away Tuesday, September 21, 2021. He was a proud veteran of the U.S. Army, having served during the Korean War. Joe then graduated from Georgia State with his Bachelor’s Degree in Business. He retired from Sears Organizations after 35 years of service. At his retirement, he was director of transportation for the company at Sears Tower in Chicago. Joe was past president of Boone Lake Association. He was a loving husband, father to two, grandfather to eight, and great grandfather to eleven. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Elta Whilden; half-brother, John Wade Whilden, Jr.; and half-sister, Martha Helen Fischer.

Joe is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Frances Kight Whilden; two daughters, Belinda Couch and husband Michael, and Beth Bennett and husband Terry; eight grandchildren, Matthew Couch, Courtney Minton, Casey Mitchell, Marshall Couch, Natalie Hopland, Julie Singleton, Brittany Poole, and Victoria Whiteford; and eleven great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 30, 2021, at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Homes, Kingsport.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.