A Missouri sports legend has been lost as Ron Lee Whittaker, 80, of Mexico, passed away on Friday, May 12, at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia. Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, …
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A Missouri sports legend has been lost as Ron Lee Whittaker, 80, of Mexico, passed away on Friday, May 12, at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia. Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 21 on Ron Whittaker Track at Hawthorne Heights at Mexico Senior High School.
Visitation will be on Sunday, May 21, from 1 p.m. until time of services.
For runners throughout the region and spanning years, Whittaker was a fixture at cross country and track meets, in which he remained active until recently.
“Ron Whittaker was a great man that contributed to the growth and success of Mexico High School track and field,” said Mexico activities director Brandon Schafer. “Across the state, he was known for his knowledge of cross country and track and field, serving as an advisor for anyone that asked.”
Schafer was among those beneficiaries.
“As the AD, I always knew I could reach out,and he’d have an answer,” he said.
“He will truly be missed.”
That sentiment is shared by ADs, coaches and student-athletes, past and present.
“Our track and cross country kids loved Ron,” said Bowling Green AD Matt Chance, who also serves as the district’s track and cross country coach.
Whittaker served as the head official for every track and cross country meet hosted at Bowling Green High School over the last 20 years.
“He was a Hall of Fame legendary coach at Mexico High School,” said Chance, “and was a Hall of Fame official and person. In my opinion, he was one of the greatest track minds in the history of Missouri High School track and field.”
Whittaker was recently among those enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, with ceremonies held last fall in Columbia as the Mexico High School boys track and field teams, from the era of 1974-79 were among honorees. From 1974 to 1979, the Mexico High School boys track and field team had few peers in Class 3.
Coached by Whittaker, the Bulldogs captured three consecutive team state titles from 1975 to 1977, while finishing third twice (1974, 1978) and runner-up once (1979). That gave the Bulldogs a total of six consecutive top-four finishes at the state meet. Mexico had a number of individual state champions in that era, along with a number of state placers whose points proved valuable in the team standings. State champions were Randy Ezell in the shot put (1974), Andy Piper in the high jump (1974, 1975), James Clark in the high hurdles (1975), Austin Miller in the high hurdles (1976), Ronnie Miller, Ronnie Hoffman, Greg Jackson and Adrian Bradshaw in the 4x400 relay, Jackson in the 400 and Rodney Henderson in the 100 (1979).
Mexico High School’s track already bore his name at the time of that honor and Sunday, the track will host mourners paying tribute to the man he was - and the legacy he left.
