James Lorenzo Whittenberg

James L. Whittenberg, age 74, passed away peacefully Thursday December 1st, 2011. His ashes will be cast to the beach and ocean he loved, South Padre Island, TX. James was born to George and Mattie Whittenberg in 1937, Breckenridge Texas. He was a star multi-sport athlete at Breckenridge High School, and enrolled at TCU in 1955. He continued his winning ways when he came to Fort Worth, Texas to begin a long and successful coaching career. His nationally recognized TCU Tiny Mites and Panther Boys Club football teams won local and national titles with games played in Reading Pennsylvania, Oklahoma City OK, St. Louis Missouri, and TCU’s Amon Carter Stadium. In the 1980’s he was recruited and began coaching Ridglea Roughnecks Football. Again he was extremely successful with a number of conference titles and an overwhelming victory in the 1998 North Texas State Championship game. He was employed by Panther Boys Club as athletic director, Sealy Mattress as plant manager and Jim Eagle Turf as operations manager, and followed with his own business opening of Ridglea Irrigation in 1979. He is survived by his wife Wendy, stepsons Derek Cook of San Diego, Zachary Cook of Fort Worth, daughters Terri Carter and Joy Tyner both of Fort Worth. Admired and loved by hundreds of former players, we will always remember his ultimate challenge to each player “Son, are you sure you don’t want to play the piano instead of football…”