Isaac Edward “Ed” Whisnant ’41

Isaac Edward “Ed” Whisnant ’41, of Snead Island in Palmetto, Fla., passed away Oct. 13 at Tidewell Hospice. He was a local attorney with offices in Bradenton where he practiced law for over 35 years. He lived in Manatee County with his family since 1964, moving there as a trust officer and vice president with First National Bank of Bradenton. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, clients and colleagues who remember his “one of a kind” personality that combined a strict code of honor and ethics with a great sense of humor and spirit of fun. He loved cheering for his beloved University of Florida fighting Gators. He also enjoyed supporting the Manatee High School wrestling team, The Tampa Bay Rays, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ed was born on July 22, 1920, in Clover, S.C., and was raised in North Carolina. He attended Davidson for one year, where he was an outstanding and undefeated freshman wrestler. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C., in 1939 and served on active duty for 23 years, including 10 years overseas. He was stationed for four years in Africa during World War II and later served in Japan and Korea during the Korean Conflict, receiving the Bronze Star. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1962. He was a graduate of the University of Maryland and received his juris doctorate law degree from the University of Florida after retiring from the Army. He established a private law practice in Bradenton in 1972 and continued to practice law until his demise. Ed was a past commodore of the Bradenton Yacht Club, where he was an avid and competitive sailor. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Bradenton where he served on the board of directors and received the perfect attendance award for 30 years. He was a past president and past general chairman of the Hernando Desoto Historical Society, an officer in the American Cancer Society, and most recently served as treasurer of the Fogartyville Cemetery Association. He was a member of the American Bar Association, the Florida Bar Association, and the Manatee County Bar Association where he was honored, along with 11 of his contemporaries, as a “Legend of the Bar” in 2004. He served as head elder, elder, and deacon at Palma Sola Presbyterian Church during his membership there and was chairman of the building committee which raised funds to build the sanctuary. He also was a 32nd degree Mason. He was preceded in death by his sister, Evelyn Eley Reel. Survivors include his wife, Fae R. Whisnant, 4707 Snead Island Rd., Palmetto, FL 34221-5704; two children, William R. Whisnant and Sarah Whisnant; a grandson, James Edward Deans; and nephews, Kent Eley and Kirk Eley.