Teacher, artist, family woman

Longtime Claremont resident Carolyn Whitham died Monday, January 27 at the age of 90.

Carolyn was born in Omaha, Nebraska, November 6, 1934, to parents Neil and Dorothy Chapman. She had one sister named Gayle. After their mother died of cancer at age 37, the girls were raised by their grandparents, Herman and Myrtle Wulff, staying in Omaha.

College was at University of Omaha, where she studied radio/TV and home economics. She was a member of Chi Omega sorority. Later she attended Cal State Los Angeles, majoring in fine arts, and earned a teaching credential from Claremont Graduate School (now Claremont Graduate University).

She married her high school boyfriend Dennis Huffman in 1955. They moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he was finishing his engineering degree. They then moved to Dayton, Ohio, where Dennis served in the Air Force, and had two boys, Steven and David in 1956 and 1959, respectively.

The family moved to Hollywood in 1959, then to Claremont in 1961. With the boys in school, she returned to college at CGS. She then took a job teaching art at Pico Rivera High School, followed by 20 years teaching home economics and art at Chaffey High School in Ontario. After leaving Chaffey, she worked as a secretary at Pomona College’s Career Development office. She retired in 2000.

Her younger son David died tragically in a car accident at age 19. His son Joe was born after his death. She and Dennis divorced a couple of years later. She married Paul Whitham in 1984, a union that would last until his death in 2010. Paul had three children from his previous marriage, Paula, David, and Mark, who all lived in Southern California. Her son Steve and his wife Faye moved from Southern California to Flagstaff, Arizona in 1997. Her late son David and his wife Robin Kriegoff’s son Joe moved to Ozark, Arkansas, where he married Emily. They have two sons, Casey and Brody.

In retirement she created ceramic sculpture for 20 years, studying with the late Betty Davenport Ford. She also stayed active as a teacher at Claremont Presbyterian Church, and as a deacon and elder, with family events, and travel with her husband.

After her second husband died in 2010, she moved to Mount San Antonio Gardens. While living there, she became friends with Bob Brown and his extended family, especially his daughter Eleanor Brown. She also took up painting, and stayed busy with many activities, music, and family events.

“Carolyn is remembered by family members as being gracious, colorful, and inclusive with family and friends,” her family shared.

She is survived by her sister Gayle Crawford; son Steve Huffman; grandson Joe Huffman; and great-grandsons Casey and Brody Huffman.

A memorial service is planned for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, February 15 at Claremont Presbyterian Church, 1111 N. Mountain Ave., Claremont 91711, with a reception to follow in fellowship hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to American Diabetes Association at diabetes.org.