Michael D. Whitt, age 67, lost his courageous battle with cholangiocarcinoma on August 20, 2023. Mike was a native of Asheville, NC but lived most of his life in Knoxville, TN. For the past 3 years Mike and his wife Mary lived in McKinney, TX where they moved to be close to their son Elliot.
Mike was a Christian and shared his faith openly and generously. A U.S. Navy Veteran, Mike proudly served his country and traveled the world during his 6-year enlistment. After leaving the Navy, he obtained his associate degree in Electrical Engineering from State Technical Institute in Knoxville, TN.
Mike enjoyed successful careers in instrumentation, design, and project management at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, United Engineers, and Raytheon. He spent the last 25 years at Mesa Associates, Inc. in Knoxville, TN. He loved his company, his work, and his coworkers.
Mike's joy was spending time with his son Elliot, particularly as they enjoyed their shared love of baseball on and off the field. They spent many weekends together travelling to and from games. Mike also loved fly fishing, a skill he learned in the mountains of Western Carolina at an early age from his Grandfather Kelly Whitt.
Mike was a lifelong learner, an avid reader, but his true passion was writing. He wrote and published "Successful Instrumentation & Controls Systems Design" with ISA, International Society of Automation. He also contributed numerous articles to ISA publications and was a contributor to the Project Management Institute's Project Management Body of Knowledge.
Mike's last project was an autobiography he wrote during his cancer journey, titled "Memoirs of a Plugger". Amazon and Barnes & Noble published his book the day after his death.
Mike is survived by his wife of 42 years, Mary, their son Elliot, and daughter-in-law Jayna, all of Frisco, TX. Father Harold, brother Philip and sister-in-law Trish, all of Asheville, NC.
A memorial service for Mike will be held on December 9th at Ridgeway Baptist Church in Candler, NC. Receiving of friends and family starts at 1 pm with service to follow at 2 pm.
Many thanks to numerous family members and friends who provided prayers, phone calls and support to Mike and his family during his illness. Thank you to Mike's surgeon Dr. Suzie Lee, MD of Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, whose efforts gave him an additional year with his family and kept him motivated through the greatest challenge of his life. A special thank you to niece Jenny Glenn, NP of Knoxville, TN. Jenny provided loving care, support, and guidance throughout Mike's entire illness.
