David Michael Whitten

David Michael Whitten - Born Saturday June 27, 1953 in Akron, Ohio to the late James Patrick and Elizabeth (Fath) Whitten, David passed away peacefully Saturday November 23, 2024 at Wayside Farms Nursing & Rehab Center in Peninsula, Ohio.

David attended St. Mary Parish school in Akron and subsequently graduated from Archbishop Hoban High School. He held many jobs throughout his life including working as a rubber worker for Goodyear Tire & Rubber, working for a scaffolding company as an assembler and deliveryman, as well as helping his nephew Robert Prete with his flooring company as a general laborer. David was a lifelong bachelor and had no children.

Standing at a towering 6'7", David was known as a "gentle giant" amongst his family and friends. He courageously struggled with mental illness most of his adult life, living the last 22 years of his life at Wayside Farms in Peninsula. Despite his mental and physical challenges, David did his best to make the most of the cards he was dealt in life. David was well-known for his feats of strength, his enormous appetites for food and drink, his persistence, and his humor. He was always up for a good joke, a bite to eat, or a gigantic chug of his favorite, diet coke. David loved watching the Cleveland Browns despite their ups and downs, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and loved merely hanging out wherever he went or whomever he was with. David also loved being around and interacting with animals and spent years taking care of the animals at his residence, Wayside Farms.

David was a unique and colorful person and will be missed by all.

David was preceded in death by his parents, his niece Roxanne Gibson, and his great-nephew Robert Prete Jr. He is survived by his brother James (Lynn) Whitten of Monroe Falls, sisters Elizabeth Diane Prete of Pittsboro, NC, Marilyn Raber of Cuyahoga Falls, and Carol Dawson of Williamsburg, VA. He also leaves behind many nieces and nephews, as well as a larger number of great-nieces and great- nephews all of whom he truly cared for.

David's family would like to thank the staff at Wayside Farms for the decades-long care he received. We would like to thank the current and former owners of Wayside Farms, Matthew Pool, Dr. Loren Pool, and Rebecca Pool for their above and beyond care and concern for David as he navigated his various mental and physical issues through the years. We would also like to thank the Morehouse family of Peninsula for generously opening their home by having David over for various holidays, sporting events, and family picnics. He truly loved spending time there.

Per David's wishes, there will be no planned services. Cremation will take place, and he will be buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio at a future date.

In lieu of flowers or other memorials, a good way to honor David's life would be to hug someone you love, enjoy a good meal with family or friends, or merely hang out spending quality time with those around you.