George Everett Whitehead was born in Lewis, Colorado, August 20, 1935, to Louis and Irene (Mathies) Whitehead.  He was the small blessing his parents had waited on for 7 years of marriage, but sadly his mother died from an illness resulting from childbirth.  At three weeks old, George was brought to the Stonington community to live with his grandparents, Lawson and Serephina Whitehead and George's step-uncle, George William (Bill) Olinger.  They lived 3-1/2 miles southeast of Stonington Unfortunately, Serephina died when George was just 5 years old.  For a couple of years, George then had the unique experience being raised by his grandad, who he lovingly called "Dad", with help from his Uncle Bill.  At age 7, George's grandad married Nellie (Walling) Whitehead.  George was also blessed to be dearly loved by the Mathies family (his mother's family), and by his dad, Louis, and wife Clara (Massey), who longed to make George part of their family, which included Clara's son, Dale Massey (just 3 years older than George), and Lucille, born to Louis and Clara when George was 6.  George's home was always with his grandad Lawson and his Uncle Bill, but as an adult he developed a close relationship with his dad and Clara, who was "Mom" to him.  George also was very close with his brother, Dale.

For his first few years, George attended the Stonington school in a class of just three students.  When he was 9, the family moved into Walsh.  He attended Walsh schools and graduated high school in 1953 with a class of 14 students.  As a young man George worked for two area farmers, Cheslea Cogburn and Lewis Robbins, and he drove a truck for L.E. Walker.

George met the love of his life, Fonda Tate, in 1956. They married in 1958 just a month before she graduated high school and just two days before George had to report to the Army.  After completing basic training in Fort Carson, George and Fonda made their first home together in De Ridder, Louisiana, where George was stationed at Fort Polk.  He was later transferred to Fort Hood in Texas, where their first daughter, Thea, was born in 1959.  Following George's honorable discharge in 1960, they lived in Lamar, Colorado.  George worked for T.L. Tucker as a truck driver and in the body shop.  Their daughter, Toni, was born there in 1961.

George and Fonda moved back to Baca County in 1964 and settled in the Buckeye community where George farmed and ranched for Olus Vail (Fonda's step-father) for 8 years before starting his own farming operation two miles west of Buckeye.  George and Fonda retired from farming in 2013 and moved to Elkhart, Kansas, where George enjoyed golfing and making new friends.  In 2021, George and Fonda moved back to the Walsh community, where they resided at Maplewood Homes until George was transferred to the connected skilled nursing facility in May 2023.  George passed peacefully at this facility with his wife and daughters by his side on September 7, 2023.

George is preceded in death by his grandad Lawson Whitehead and grandmothers Serefina and Nellie; his maternal grandparents, Wilson and Minnie Mathies; his Uncle Bill; his father, Louis Whitehead, and step-mom, Clara; his sister, Lucille (Whitehead) Terry; his mother-in-law, Nell Vail, and her husband, Olus Vail; his father-in-law, Mac Tate and his wife Julia; and son-in-law, Robert Stegeman.

He is survived by his wife, Fonda (Tate) Whitehead of Walsh, Colorado; daughter, Thea Gibson and her husband, Harley, of Walsh; daughter, Toni Stegeman, of Parkville, Missouri; brother, Dale Massey, of Littleton, Colorado; 7 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and many other family and friends.

The funeral service will be held on Friday, September 15, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. MST at the First Baptist Church, Walsh, Colorado, with burial to follow at the Walsh Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, donations in George's memory can be made to the Walsh Healthcare Center, P.O. Box 206, Walsh, Colorado 81090.