Celia Ann Whittaker

Celia Ann Whittaker, age 79 years of Niles, Michigan; mother, grandmother, aunt, legal secretary, devout Christian, and outdoorswoman died peacefully at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, May 4, 2026 with her family gathered at Corewell Health Lakeland Hospital, Saint Joseph, Michigan following a brief illness.

She was born on August 11, 1946 at the former Pawating Hospital in Niles (now Corewell Lakeland) to Kenneth L. and Anna P. (Royer) Blackburn, and came home to the house in which she would live for her entire life. She was graduated from Niles High School, and continued her education at Western Michigan University, completing a two-year course to become a legal secretary. She began her career with a few months in the Kalamazoo law office of S. Jack Keller (now Keller & Keller), before returning to Niles to work in the Mollison Law Office, retiring after twenty-one years.

In addition to living in the same house her entire life, Celia was a member of First Baptist Church of Niles her entire life, moving with the congregation from a wood frame building on the northeast corner of Fourth Street & Broadway, to the new brick building at East Main & 15th Streets. At First Baptist, she served as Chairman of the Missions Board for several years, and served briefly as the congregation’s office secretary. She was also a member of the Business and Professional Women of Niles.

When away from work and church, she enjoyed the outdoors including gardening, flowers, yardwork, and long drives with no planned destination. She was a fan of Barry Manilow, and quickly became a fan of Vernors’ new flavor, Black Cherry when it was released in 2022. But her greatest joy was spending time with her friends and family; and those long drives became very intentional, to attend and support the athletic events of her grandson in high school and college.

On August 16, 1969 at First Baptist Church she was married to Gary Lee Whittaker, with whom she celebrated the remarkable Forty-ninth anniversary of their wedding, prior to his death on May 15, 2019. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Ken and Anna Blackburn; Gary’s parents, Leonard and Laverne Whittaker, Sr.; and Gary’s brothers, William Whittaker, and Leonard Whittaker, Jr.

Surviving family includes her daughter, Angela R. (& Frank) Vella of Niles; grandson, Tyler Weedon; sisters-in-law, Sue (& Gary) Wilks of Aurora, Missouri, and Nancy Hilderbrant of Rochester, Washington; nieces and nephews, Pastor Jeff (& Doreen) Whittaker, Mark (& Cindy) Whittaker, Tim Gwin, Kevin Gwin, Scott Gwin, Brian (& Dawn) Gwin, Jody Hilderbrant, and Brandy Childress; and Celia’s cousins, Kathy Malone, Barb Spears, Michael (& Claudia) Royer, David Royer, Danny Royer, and Rebekah Royer-Auker.

Arrangements for Celia Whittaker are pending, and will be announced soon by the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 East Main Street in Niles. Online condolences and memories may be shared at:

www.halbritterwickens.com

Celia’s life was remarkably stable as society and culture continued to change around her. Very few folks live in the same house for their entire life, and very few remain in the same congregation throughout their life. But more important was Celia’s constancy in kindness, helpfulness, and encouragement, such that everyone who visited Celia left that visit feeling blessed. All of this evidence of following the command to love God and love people.