11/17/2025
Walter Elias Whitehead
Walter Elias Whitehead, passed away on September 27, 2025, at the age of 73. A memorial service will be held Sunday November 23, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Luke Lawson officiating; burial will follow at Friendship Cemetery.
Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on April 9, 1952, Walter moved with his family to Macon, Mississippi, at the age of five, and later to Columbus, Mississippi, where they all remained until his college and adulthood years. He graduated from S. D. Lee High School in Columbus and went on to earn a degree in accounting from Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi.
Walter was a certified public accountant (CPA). He worked in Diamondhead, Bay Springs, and continued in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, in his tax preparation business. While living in Ocean Springs, he was highly involved in community service organizations and projects. His professional journey eventually led him to Houston, Texas, where he resided for the remainder of his life.
Walter had a lifelong affection for dogs, beginning with Cali, a German shepherd he adored as a child in Puerto Rico, and continuing with various beloved pets throughout his life, including his Great Dane, and in his last years, Reese and Milo captured his heart.
A man of diverse interests, Walter was an avid chess player, participating in intercollegiate championships during his university years. His hobbies included playing tennis, pool, and poker with friends. He enjoyed fishing and climbing coconut trees in Puerto Rico with his brother Billy. He loved reading and analyzing newspapers trying to determine all aspects of a situation and staying up to date on current events. He was passionate about history, politics, and theology, often discussing it with family and friends. A sports enthusiast, Walter was particularly fond of Mississippi State and all Texas sports teams.
Walter cherished traveling with family and friends, exploring destinations in the United States, Europe, and Puerto Rico. He spent many holidays with his family in Mississippi. He was a dedicated family man, relishing time spent with his nieces and nephews as he watched them grow up. He was dearly loved by his Mississippi family and they waited anxiously for his surprise visits which always included fun times and video game marathons.
Walter was able to spend a lot of time around his great nephew, Parker, creating an unbreakable and cherished bond between the two. During COVID he helped Parker get through online classes and work. Together, they loved playing online video games and caring for their dogs. Walter also spent time coaching his nephew's basketball teams alongside his brother, Billy. Family was the most important thing to Walter, and he made this evident to each and every family member.
Walter was best known for his sharp mind and love for numbers; his interests revolved around thinking and mind games. One of his favorite things to do was to follow the stock market, determine how to analyze the market and how to invest in the market. He was instrumental in helping his family with tax forms, financial questions, and investments. Walter was always available to assist family and friends in need. He found great joy in guiding his Houston nieces and nephews as he taught them to play chess, trivial pursuit, and any game that had to do with numbers. He taught them how to do deep research, teaching them the importance of thinking through a project and mapping it out before attempting completion. He was an incredibly intelligent man who was always up for activities that kept his mind moving.
Walter was preceded in death by his father, Bill (William Leon Whitehead), his mother, Paz Vazquez Guerra Whitehead, his sister-in-law, Mary Froman Whitehead, and his older brother, Billy Whitehead (William Leon Whitehead, Jr.).
He is survived by his sister, Annie Whitehead Richerson of Hattiesburg, MS; nieces and nephews: Schatzi Whitehead Collier of Columbus, MS, Rob Richerson of Salisbury, MD, Billy Whitehead (William Leon, III) of Houston, TX, Aimee Richerson Carroll of Tallahassee, FL, and Whitney Whitehead of Houston, TX; and great-nieces and nephews: Korene Hankins of Franklin, TN, Parker Kohl Whitehead of Houston, TX, Annie Katharine Richerson of Salisbury, MD, Isabelle Carroll of Tallahassee, FL, Will Richerson of Salisbury, MD, and McCormick Carroll of Tallahassee, FL.
Walter's life was marked by a strong faith nurtured in the Presbyterian tradition. He will be remembered for his intelligence, kindness, and unwavering love and support for his family and friends.
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