Obituary – David Burson Whitford, Jr 1941 – 2025

Written by Kathryne Whitford 6/16/2025

David B. Whitford, Jr was a man of extraordinary presence. Respected and loved by many: friends, family and colleagues. David passed away on June 7, 2025 in Wildomar, CA at 84 years of age after many health challenges, especially Congestive Heart Failure. He will be greatly missed.

David Burson Whitford, Jr. was born on May 26, 1941 to David Burson Whitford, Sr (1913-1978) and Ardith Revena Parham (1915-1998) just six months before the attack on Pearl Harbor which thrust the USA into World War II. His father was a Merchant Marine and participated in the conflicts in the Pacific Theater of the war. Ardith, his mother, was the daughter of Claude Parham who was born on the Cherokee Reservation in Oklahoma/Arkansas. David was very proud of his Cherokee Native American heritage and was a card carrying member of the Cherokee Nation.

David attended Millikan High School and Lakewood High School in Long Beach. He played saxophone in the band and also played football through high school. Football was his favorite sport. He married Sharon Bodtke in 1961 and later divorced in 1969. He had one son, David Christopher Whitford from this marriage. David C Whitford passed away in 1998. David worked for North American Rockwell in Long Beach for about 10 years as a cost accountant.

After his divorce, he moved to Fullerton where he met his future wife, Kathryne J. Merrill in a local restaurant. Kathy was working as a waitress while working on her college degree and teaching credential. They married in September, 1973 just weeks after Kathy’s graduation from BYU in Utah.

David worked as a bookkeeper and tax preparer until he passed the CPA Exam in 1982. He graduated from Cal-State, Fullerton in 1977. He started his own CPA business in 1982 which he owned and managed for 43 years. He loved working as a Certified Public Accountant for over four decades.

Active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fullerton, Riverside, and Menifee, he served in church leadership for over 50 years, and was also active as a leader in the Boy Scouts of America for about 20 years.

David and Kathryne have 6 children, 4 daughter-in-laws, one son-in-law, 19 grandchildren, one grandson-in-law and two great granddaughters. David and

Kathy also had 11 foster children who completed high school while in their home in Riverside/Jurupa Valley from 1993-2006. David touched many through his kind and gentle ways in the community, church, and in his profession. He will be greatly missed by his devoted wife, Kathy, his children, family, and community. He also served on the Heritage Lake HOA in Menifee as treasurer for over 12 years.

His Celebration of Life/Memorial will be on July 5, 2025 in Menifee, CA at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Menifee, 29725 Bradley Rd. Sun City, CA. He will be interred at Miller Jones Menifee Memorial Park & Mortuary in Menifee, CA shortly after the funeral.

He is survived by his wife, Kathryne, his six children: Kevin Whitford, Andrew Whitford, Warren Whitford, Jeffrey Whitford, Jessica Whitford, and Jennifer Rand, 4 daughter-in-laws and one son-in-law, 19 grandchildren, one grandson-in-law, and 2 great granddaughters. He is also survived by his sister Claudia Gonzalez and 5 nieces and several nieces and nephews on his wife side.

David had a powerful testimony of Jesus Christ and the power of the atonement and resurrection. Till we meet again!