Johnette Whitley

Johnette Padgett Whitley of Kannapolis NC entered heaven on September 2, 2017. She was born August 22, 1927 in the" big city" of Lowell, NC. Her parents were the late Clarence E Padgett, Sr and Minnie Estelle Newman Padgett. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her siblings Clarence E Padgett Jr, Virginia Padgett Luck, Charles Padgett, Perry Padgett, Sarah Padgett Bumgardner, and Patricia Padgett Davis. Receiving of friends will be Monday, September 4, 2017 at Whitley's Funeral Home from 6 to 9 pm. Funeral service will take place on Tuesday, September 5 at 3 pm at Trinity United Methodist Church in Kannapolis NC. Entombment will be follow at Carolina Memorial Park, Kannapolis, NC. Johnette was a graduate of Lowell High School and the School of Nursing at Cabarrus Memorial Hospital. It was there while working at Cabarrus Memorial Hospital that she met her husband local funeral director William L Whitley, Sr. They married October 23, 1948 in the Duke Chapel at Duke University. Johnette was a registered nurse at Cabarrus Memorial Hospital for many years. When the time came for her to have her children, Johnette then became a full time homemaker when she began having her children in 1955 but continued to volunteer at the hospital, The Cancer Society and The Red Cross helping with blood drives. Throughout her many years in Kannapolis she volunteered for many organizations all over town and enjoyed her time in the Garden Club, her bridge club, sewing, needlework and researching genealogy. Johnette was very active in her church Trinity United Methodist Church where she served on several committees throughout the years. In the early 1980s she went to work in the family business, Whitley's Funeral Home. Johnette had a flair for decorating and loved to help her children decorate their apartments, their homes and the funeral home. Johnette was a devoted wife, mother, and friend to anyone who met her. She loved traveling, gardening, shopping, going to her condo at the beach but most of all spending time with her precious grandchildren. Johnette made everyone feel special at any holiday but especially at Christmas. In the later years as her family grew she always made sure everyone had gifts at Christmas. Her Christmas bags became a ritual and everyone couldn't wait to see what was in their bag. Surviving Johnette are her husband, William L Whitley, Sr. of Kannapolis NC. Her sons, William L. Whitley Jr, John M. Whitley and David (Hope) Whitley and daughter Jane L Whitley all of Kannapolis. Her brother Jerry Padgett (Anita) of Moncks Corner, SC, her grandchildren, Elizabeth Whitley, Sarah Whitley, Andrew Whitley, Alexandra Medley, Patrick Whitley, Anthony Antinucci, Madeleine Antinucci, Arianna Antinucci, Evan Antinucci, Kendyl Denson, Kaisyn Denson, Alyson Hodgkinson, Lori Whitcomb, Kristi Huntsberger. Great grandchildren Ava, Eason and Reeves Hodgkinson and Lyla Hope Medley in January 2018 and numerous nieces and nephews. The Whitley family would like to thank the staff at Transitional Health Services, the staff at Caremoor Retirement Center and The Haven at Highland Creek for the wonderful care that was given to Johnette over the past 7 years. The family would also like to thank all the caring friends that visited Johnette while she was away from her home. Memorials may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, 416 East 1st Street, Kannapolis NC 28083 and The Alzheimer's Association- Western Carolina Chapter, 4600 Park Rd #250, Charlotte, NC 28209. Online condolences can be left at www.whitleysfuneralhome.com