Funeral services for Mr. J. Ronald Wilhite, age 74, of Norman will be held at 2:00 pm Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at the Westside Church of Christ, 726 McGee in Norman with Leon Dennis and Phillip Johnson officiating. 
            Ron was born November 29, 1935 in Mangum, Oklahoma the son of Jess Carl and Anna Lee (Means) Wilhite.  He spent the first five years of his life in the Cityview community,east of Mangum, Oklahoma.  He and his family moved to a farm eight miles west of Mangum and he transferred to White Flat grade school. 
            After grade school, he attended Reed Public Schools, graduating in May of 1953.  The following September, he enrolled at Oklahoma A & M College (now Oklahoma State University) in Stillwater, Oklahoma.  During the Christmas break, he met his future wife, Virginia Litton at a basketball game in Granite, Oklahoma.  Virginia was a junior in high school at that time.  Ron finished his freshman year at Oklahoma A & M, but could not stand the thought of being away from Virginia another year, so he dropped out of college for the next year, and purchased a Conoco Gas Station in Mangum, in order to be with Virginia. 
            Ron and Virginia were married on December 24, 1954 in Mangum.  Virginia was a 17 year-old senior at Granite High School and Ron was 19 at the time.   
            Following Virginia's graduation from Granite High School in 1955, she and Ron moved to Stillwater where Ron enrolled at Oklahoma A & M to finish his college education.  Later, on July 21, 1957, Ron and Virginia welcomed their first child, Joe Ronald.  Ron graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in January of 1958 and the family moved to Altus, Oklahoma where Ron was the assistant county agent for the 4-H Club of Jackson County.  One year later, Ron received a grant from Oklahoma State University to return to college and he enrolled in graduate school.
            In 1960, Ron graduated with honors with a  Masters of Science Degree.  He immediately accepted a position with Prudential Life Insurance Company, in the mortgage loan department and later assumed responsibility for the production of real estate loans in Oklahoma and Kansas.
            While living in Norman, Oklahoma in 1963, their daughter, Jana Kaye, was born.  Later that same year, Ron was transferred by Prudential to Topeka, Kansas to be responsible for all loan activity for Northeast Kansas, including Topeka and Lawrence.  In March of 1967, Ron accepted a position as Vice President of the First National Bank of Topeka, the second largest bank in Kansas, with a specific focus on Commercial Real Estate.
            In March of 1968, Ron received an offer from the American Exchange Bank of Norman to serve as Executive Vice President and to oversee the bank's loan portfolio.  One year later, he was elected to the Board of Directors and in 1976 was elected President of American Exchange Bank. 
            Ron retired from the American Exchange Bank in 1979.  He then became an organizer for Gibralter Properties, a real estate investment and development company.  Gibralter developed the Parkway Office Building on south Meridian Avenue, the Harvey Parkway Building on NW 63rd and several others.  Later, Gibralter was purchased by an out of state company.  In 1985, Ron, along with a group of local investors obtained a charter for Republic National Bank.  After leaving Republic  Ron then began his own private real estate investment and development company, which he has operated from 1989 until his death.  He developed hundreds of acres of commercial properties, including properties in Georgia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio, and Texas for Ed Noble, the Noble Foundation and others.  Developments in the local area include the property along Ed Noble Parkway in Norman and the Riverwalk Plaza in Moore, Oklahoma.
            Ron is survived by his wife and soul mate, Virginia, who would have been married 56 years this December, 2010; his son, Joe Wilhite and his wife, Melinda of Norman, OK; one daughter, Jana Cheap, and her husband, Mike of Edmond, OK; five grandchildren, Taylor Grinstead and her husband, Wesley of Lavon, TX; Sarah Wilhite and Jackson Wilhite, of Norman, OK; and Katie Cheap and Jack Cheap of Edmond, OK; three sisters-in-law, Sue Weeks; LaDean Roberts and Claudine Litton; three brothers-in-law, Sam Allenbaugh, Robert Hogg and Gene Roberts; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
            He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Charles Wilhite in 1996; six sisters-in-law and six brothers-in-law.
            The family will receive friends from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at the Havenbrook Funeral Home, 3401 Havenbrook Street in Norman.  
            Burial will conclude in IOOF Cemetery in Norman under the direction of the Havenbrook Funeral Home of Norman.
            Online condolences may be shared at www.havenbrookfuneralhome.com     
 
 
 

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