Janie Whitehurst, Wife of ODU Prof Bill Whitehurst, Dies March 6

Jennette "Janie" F. Whitehurst, the wife of G. William Whitehurst, Old Dominion University's Kaufman Lecturer in Public Affairs, died the afternoon of Friday, March 6.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, March 15, at 2 p.m. in Ghent United Methodist Church and a reception will follow at Harbor's Edge, One Colley Ave., Norfolk. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Ghent United Methodist Church Organ Fund, 531 Raleigh Ave., Norfolk, VA 23507 or to the G. William and Jennette F. Whitehurst History Scholarship at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529. H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., Norfolk Chapel, is handling arrangements.

Janie Whitehurst worked in her husband's Washington, D.C., office, ultimately as his legislative assistant, when he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's Second District.

In a March 22, 2004, Inside Business story, Bill Whitehurst said of his wife and their partnership: "Because she was not able to be on the federal payroll, we told people they would get two for the price of one. In the 18 years I was there, we worked the job together. She hasn't been three steps behind me, she has been side by side with me."

The Whitehursts, together, were awarded the Distinguished Virginian Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice in 2004.