Mr. Mark Joseph Whitacre, 71 of Hillman, Michigan died peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family on June 24, 2024. He was born in Trenton, Michigan on February 14, 1953 to the late Forest and June (Rose) Whitacre. He served his country proudly in the United States Navy. On April 18, 1975 he married his loving wife, Phyllis (Bastien) Whitacre and together the couple celebrated 49 years of marriage before his passing. The couple has resided in Hillman for the last ten years. Mark was very active in the churches that both he and Phyllis attended. Most recently, he was a member of the Pleasant Valley Community Church. He was an outdoorsman and enjoyed kayaking with “The Boys” on the AuSable River, fishing, and camping with his sons and grandchildren. He was very passionate about caretaking for Lazy JJ Ranch, and he loved to give tours of the property to his grandchildren and the visitors that would come. Mark is and will be deeply missed.
He is survived by his wife, Phyllis Whitacre of Hillman; children, Pastor Derek (Deanna) Whitacre, Kyle (Christy) Whitacre both of Luzerne; Wendy (Douglas) DeBoe of Monroe; Becky (Jason) Belcher of LaSalle; 16 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and sister, Caroline (Darryl) Gilbertson of Hawley, Minnesota. He was preceded in death by his parents, Forest and June Whitacre; brother, Bernard; and grandson, Mason.
In accordance with his wishes, cremation has taken place. There will be a memorial service held in celebration of Mark’s life at 2:00 PM on Friday, July 5, 2024 at Pleasant Valley Community Church, Hillman. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pleasant Valley Community Church, 19109 Pleasant Valley Road, Hillman, Michigan 49746. The service will be livestreamed and can be viewed by visiting: https://www.facebook.com/p/Fresh-Start-Community-Ministries-of-Ogemaw-Co-100064994912136/
