Obituary of William S. Whitley

William (Bill) Whitley, 87, an 80+ year resident of Endwell (and the best grandfather ever), died unexpectedly on October 23rd, 2024. He is predeceased by his parents Bernarr and Edna Whitley and his wife of 61 years, Jean. He is survived by his daughter Anne Whitley, his granddaughter and spouse, Emily (his pride and joy) and Eli Nichols, great grandson Everett Nichols, his sister Carole Vandermark, and her children. Bill was very proud of both Anne and Emily. In addition he was very thankful for his true blue friends and fellow Cobra/Shelby enthusiasts Craig, Fran, and Randy. Thanks to all his car buddies for the laughs, you know who you are! The family would like to say a special thank you to Zena, Chris, Saadia, Heather, Fran, and Tressa for caring for Bill. We love you! Plus a big shout out to Shelley's Deli and Butcher Boy. Bill loved you! Bill graduated from U.E. HS and Broome Tech. He retired from IBM after 35 years and Amphenol Corp. after 10 years. He enjoyed cars, reading, and plastic modeling. Bill was a member and local rep. of the Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC), a co-founder of the Binghamton chapter of the International Plastic Modeling Society (IPMS), and a member of the Armor Modeling Preservation Society (AMPS). He felt lucky to have enjoyed owning and driving an original 1965 289 AC Cobra for over 30 years, and an original 1966 Shelby GT350 for over 35 years (no kit cars here)! Yes. He won. A lot. Plus, a 1965 restomod Mustang Fastback. In his younger days, he drag raced his 289 Ford Fairlane. His motto - If you got it, drive it! A private burial service was held by the family at Riverhurst Cemetery. In Lieu of flowers, hug a loved one and help an elderly neighbor.