James Edward Whitt

Jim Whitt, 75, of Rising Sun, MD, passed away Tuesday, April 9, 2024, following a long battle with cancer.  He was the son of the late Wilson Whitt and Lorainne Bush (Sayers).  He was the loving husband of Carol L. (Tharp) Whitt.

Jim attended Bel Air High School in the 1960s where he was a star runner on the Track and Field Team. He entered the U.S. Army in 1967 where he was trained as a Medical Corpsman and was then sent to Vietnam where he served in the 45th U.S. Army Surgical Hospital in Tay Ninh. There, he treated wounded American soldiers. It was a dangerous assignment as the Viet Cong did not respect the non-combatant status of U.S. Army Hospitals, and frequently fired mortar rounds into the area of the 45th Surgical Hospital from a nearby mountain. After leaving the military, Jim attained his Associate in Nursing in Iowa where he later spent 32 working as a Registered Nurse Counselor with the Veterans Administration both in Iowa and Maryland.

Jim enjoyed watching many sports including baseball, golf, and football.  He was a diehard Baltimore Orioles and Ravens fan.  Jim was also a member of many leagues from bowling to golf throughout the years as well as joining a local pool league. Jim had many hobbies including fishing, listening to music, and collecting sports memorabilia and albums.  He attended many concerts over the years and still has many of the original ticket stubs. Jim loved many things dancing, singing karaoke, and his dogs (Sox, Gabby, and Heidi).

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters, Laura Weichamn (Tim) and Brittany Ratledge; sons, Mickey Ratledge (Niki), Billy Whitt (Stephanie) and Dave Whitt; sisters, Pat Luna (Ferdinand), Joann Connoly (Michael) and Betty Bee (Andre). 

Jim was preceded in death by his sons, Ronnie Ratledge and Lou Ratledge; sister, Shirley Hannibal; and brothers, Jay Bishop, Jr, Jerry Bishop, and Michael Whitt.

Jim was a caring and kind man who was widely liked by his patients at Perry Point, as well as by many other people. Jim’s funeral will be held at the Lee A. Patterson & Son Funeral Home, P.A., of Perryville, MD. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial be made to one of the following veteran's organizations: Fisher House Foundation, providing free housing and a ‘home away from home’ for the families of patients receiving treatment at major military and VA medical centers; America’s VetDogs, specializes placing highly-skilled service and guide dogs to individuals with physical injuries, PTSD, hearing and vision loss, and seizures; or Vietnam Veterans of America, which advocates for Vietnam Veterans and which recently won a major victory in Congress when it agreed to compensate Vietnam Veterans who were sprayed with Agent Orange and who subsequently suffered certain types of cancers at a much higher rate than the general public. Jim’s cancer was one of these cancers.

Funeral services are scheduled for Monday, April 15, 2024, 1 PM, at the Lee A. Patterson & Son Funeral Home, P.A., of Perryville, MD. Visitation for family and friends will be held Monday, April 15, 2024, 11 AM until 1 PM, at the funeral home prior to the funeral service. Interment will be private.

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