Whitefield Watson Mayes, age 71, of Newport News, Va., died peacefully at home on April 12, 2013. He was the son of the late Milton Cooper Mayes II and the late Angela Wannamaker Watson Mayes. Born on October 28, 1941, in Sumter, SC, Whit spent his childhood in his ancestral home in Mayesville, SC. After the death of his parents, he moved to Clinton, SC, at the age of 13, where he met LouDean who immediately fell in love with him and never let him go. He graduated from Thornwell High School in Clinton in 1959, and received his BS in Civil Engineering from the Citadel in 1963, and his MS in Civil Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1964. He moved to Newport News in 1966. He served in the United States Army for two years and was discharged in 1968 with the rank of Captain. He was employed by the Department of Defense as a traffic engineer for 35 years, where he rose to the position of Chief Engineer/Deputy Director. After retiring in 2003 he worked several years for Wilbur Smith Associates and most recently operated his own consulting firm. He was an enthusiastic traveler who enjoyed the beach, the mountains, and exploring new places. He loved the outdoors, many types of sports, and working in his yard. He was a long time member of Denbigh Presbyterian Church, serving as elder and deacon and working on committees, including diligent work on the endowment fund for the church. Above all, Whit was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, LouDean Allen Mayes, his son and daughter-in-law, Jeffrey and Sandra Doss Mayes of Wayne, PA, daughter Elizabeth Woessner of Newport News, and daughter and son-in-law, Catherine and Arthur Kunz of Kitty Hawk, NC, grandchildren Meredith and Benjamin Woessner, Steven Mayes, and Finlay, Elias, Madeline, and Theodore Kunz. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Cornelia Attwood Mayes, nieces Rachel Strawn (Mark) and Angela Schwartz (Jeffrey), and great nephews and nieces, David and Cooper Schwartz and Margaret, Alice, Louise, and Samuel Strawn. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother Milton Cooper Mayes III and his son-in-law, Dr. William Harry Woessner. Visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m. at Denbigh Presbyterian Church, 302 Denbigh Blvd., Newport News, VA, 23608 on Monday, April 15, followed by a memorial service at 3:00 p.m. Burial will be private. Memorial contributions may be made to the Denbigh Presbyterian Church Endowment Fund. Tags: 1963
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