Carold “Butch” Dean Whisnant

Butch was born on December 8, 1945, to Alfred Ford Whisnant and Coy Bertha (Strange) Whisnant in Rural Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Butch grew up primarily in the southeastern area of Missouri, where Steele, Missouri had played a large part in his upbringing. Butch had two older half-brothers and was the eldest of seven other children.

Butch’s family worked as field labor, including he and his siblings when they were kids. He often talked about growing up in the cotton fields, long days and low pay. His mother, Coy, was a strong southern woman who kept her family together after Alfred’s passing in 1953 when Butch was only 7 years old. Aside from working in the field, Butch talked about all the family had endured from the loss of his dad in a farming accident, to the tornados moving the house, to the fire that destroyed almost everything they had, to the tragedy of a brother passing away in an accident one school morning.

When Butch was 17, his mother approved of him joining the Air Force. He left Steele, Missouri and started an entirely new life. At his first major stationing, he was sent to K.I. Sawyer A.F.B. From the farm fields, to a rural base that seemed to be constantly covered in snow. Dad had the job of putting on the heaviest uniform clothes he had and would go out on the flight line and shovel the snow from around the runway lights.

Butch would travel into Marquette where he was set up on a blind date with Dianne Elizabeth Poole. He showed up and knocked on her door and the rest was history. Dianne and Butch would marry in 1964 and were together until her passing in 2021. Butch was adopted into the family by Dianne’s parents and siblings, making Marquette his second home and Herb Poole his bonus father.

Butch would go on to be stationed in Japan where he and Dianne had their only child, Carold Dean Whisnant Jr. He often talked about riding a bicycle in the pouring rain to a small food shop to get Dianne Gyoza to fill her cravings during pregnancy. Later, he would be stationed in Okinawa and Thailand in a support role for the war in Vietnam. While the day job kept him busy he loved preparing food so he also worked as a cook in the NCO Clubs.

Butch and Dianne traveled back and forth across the country with the military (Michigan, New York, Northern California, Mississippi, Southern California, Virginia, and Arizona). Once in Arizona he knew this is where he would retire from his Air Force career in 1985. In that long stretch of years he was not only a loving and attentive husband, but he was the model father always available for his son. He was the scouting leader, the baseball coach, the soccer coach, the camping and fishing teacher, and so much more.

Even with all of these activities, this young boy from the south that didn’t graduate high school had gone on to earn his Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management. But he wasn’t done. In late 1985 Butch started a job as a training program manager for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station west of Phoenix, Arizona. He worked there helping teachers and program managers develop training courses. After 23 plus years working for the power plant he decided to retire once again, but this time for good where he could settle down and spend some quality time with Dianne, his son (Dean), daughter-in-law (Collette) and three grandchildren (Elizabeth, Carold III, and Matti).

Through all the preceding years and then after retirement, Butch would keep his family back in Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee in the forefront of his mind. He loved seeing pictures of his nieces and nephews growing up and having babies and grandbabies of their own. Dianne and Butch would visit his hometown on many occasions, hosting a reunion whenever possible.

Butch was a loving and kind soul. He loved when family would come to town and visit. At times there could be 10 people staying at the modest home. The BBQ grill was always warm and the food coming off of it top-notch. He never wanted or expected anything in return, he just enjoyed the ability to welcome everyone with open arms.

Butch was preceded in death by his wife; Dianne (Poole) Whisnant, by his father; Alfred Ford Whisnant, by his mother; Coy (Strange) Whisnant, his half-brothers; Sid White and Joe White, his brothers; Danny Whisnant, Charles Whisnant, Billy Whisnant; and his sisters; Nancy (Whisnant) Thorne and Betty K. Whisnant.

Butch is survived by his son; Dean Whisnant, his former daughter-in-law; Collette Whisnant, his grandchildren; Elizabeth (Whisnant) McCan, Carold “Bubba” Whisnant III, Matti Whisnant, and his sister; Gearldine (Whisnant/ Muse) Westbrook. Not to mention a multitude of nieces and nephews from his siblings as well as of Dianne’s siblings.

Friends may call at Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services on Tuesday, September 5, beginning at 12:00 noon until the time of service at 1:00 pm. Pastor Chad Mager will officiate.

A reception will follow in the funeral home reception room.

Interment, with veterans honors, will be held on Wednesday at 1:00 pm at the Northland Chapel Gardens.

Condolences may be expressed online at fassbenderswansonhansen.com