Stephen E. Wilhite

Stephen Earl Wilhite died of natural causes on 12/17/16. Steve was born on 9/25/1954 in Malabalay in the Philippines of parents Orlan Wayne Wilhite and Mabel Harban Wilhite from Des Moines, Iowa. His parents were Southern Baptist missionaries and they and their five children lived in Bagio City, building 14 Christian churches in the mission field, as well as a student center. Their always loving and close-knit family was strengthened by visits back to the family seat in Iowa, where Steve sometimes worked on his Uncle Jim's farm. When Orlan W. became ill with a tropical disease, the family moved back to the States, and he took a congregation in Iowa, and later in upstate New York. This transition, in 1969, from Steve's beloved Philippeans to a race-rioting U.S. city at age 15 was a difficult one. He worked at a pallet factory in North Tonawanda during high school. When he graduated, he thought about medical school, but instead joined the Air Force, where he worked for 11 years as a crypto-linguist, and learned to be fluent in the Russian language. He was stationed in California, as an instructor at the Defense Language School, in Texas, and in Japan. There, he translated from Russian to English during the exciting chapter in history when a Russian fighter pilot defected with a state-of-the-art plane, helping him to land without getting shot down. Steve won an award in the Air Force, not for that act, but for compiling a dictionary of Russian expletives. After his retirement from the Air Force in 1983, he decided to go to acting school in London at the Weber Douglas Academy. He assisted with literary matters for the George Bernard Shaw estate. In London, he was demonstrating promise as an actor, met famous British actors, including Judi Dench, and enjoyed his school work and classmates, still remaining close with many. When his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, he returned to the U.S. to help with her care. He landed a job as a desk clerk at the Children's Defense Fund in D.C., working with Marian Wright Edelman and a young Hilary Clinton. Working his way up to CDF's webmaster (self-taught), he won an award for best on-line advocacy website. Eventually, he was recruited by the AFL-CIO to perform the role of Production Coordinator, to raise awareness about unions, a demanding job, yet still managed to be involved in political and community activities, including protesting wars and raising money for liberal candidates. He raised $25,000 for Barack Obama's 2008 run for the White House. All the while, he continued to pursue his acting career, balancing it with his demanding day jobs and his loving family. He performed in over 30 professional productions, including "Small Craft Warnings," The Brothers Karamazov," and "Damien," the story of a Belgian priest who ministered to the lepers of Molokai, (eventually becoming afflicted with leprosy himself.) Damien was recently canonized by the Vatican, and Steve considered playing him to be one of the high-lights of his career. Steve is survived by brothers Dennis and Ron Wilhite, and by his sister, Mary Haberkorn, her husband Thomas and numerous nieces and nephews. Other survivors include one child, his son, Orlan, and his ex-wife, Ellen. Steve wished his ashes to be sprinkled between the two mokus in Lanikai, Hawaii. A memorial tribute will be held in the Spring. Heffner Funeral Chapel & Crematory, Inc., 1551 Kenneth Road, York is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a homeless shelter near you, or buy a meal for a homeless person, as Steve would have done.