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Charles David Whitfield of Pooler, a lover of his family, the beach, the Georgia Bulldogs, John Wayne movies and his small-town Southern simplicity, died on Tuesday at the age of 61 after a two-year battle with cancer. David was born January 23, 1954, in Savannah and grew up in Richmond Hill, the youngest son of the late (William) Ellis and Ruby White Whitfield. He was preceded in death by his sister Elizabeth Whitfield. David was a 1972 graduate of Richmond Hill High School and retired in 2013 after 40 years with CSX Transportation as a signalman and always took pride in doing things "the right way." He taught his surviving sons Chris Whitfield of Dalton, Nicholas Birchfield of Bloomingdale and Josh Whitfield of Pooler to cut grass, rake pinestraw and paint "the right way" and when things weren't done "the right way" he would say, "You'd never work for the railroad." But he was always quick to give Yankee dimes to his sons when they would take his boots off after a long day with the railroad. He was married to Sandy (Birchfield) for 26 years and would often threaten to put his foot down to his beloved wife, but he would always pick it back up when she told him to. The two have lived in Pooler for the past 16 years and he was a gentle, loving husband who took an interest in his kids' lives and doted on his grandchildren. He was past president of the Richmond Hill Recreation Association, helping build the once small-town volunteer organization into what it has become today and a beloved coach of the Richmond Hill Astros baseball teams and the Richmond Hill Broncos football teams of the late 1970s and 1980s. And even heavy rains couldn't stop him from cheering on the Savannah Christian Raiders in the late 1980s. He was an avid softball player in his younger days and loved camping, trips to Jacksonville Beach and the dog races in Orange Park, Fla. In his older years, his flavored coffee and Savannah Morning-News crossword puzzle were a staple of his kitchen table. He is survived by his brothers W.E. Whitfield Jr. of Florida and Edward Whitfield of Virginia, and sisters Patricia Haymans and Jackie McCullough, both of Richmond Hill, and a host of nieces and nephews. He is also survived by daughters-in-law Amanda Whitfield of Dalton, Kristy Birchfield of Bloomingdale and grandchildren Blake, Emma and Shayna Birchfield, and Matthew, Chance and Wade Whitfield and Shawn Whitfield and J.J. Durrance. A memorial gathering to celebrate the life of David Whitfield will be held Friday from 4-7 p.m. at the John W. Stephens Wetlands Education Center at Jack F. Gregory Park in Richmond Hill. Fairhaven Funeral Home & Crematory 2794 West US Highway 80 Garden City, GA 31408 (912)964-2862 www.fairhavenfuneralhome.net

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Charles D. Whitfield

January 23, 1954 - December 8, 2015