Rodney W. Whitman, age 88, of Council Bluffs, passed away April 18, 2019 at Methodist Hospital in Omaha. Rod was born August 23, 1930 in Council Bluffs to the late Ted and Martha (Simonson) Whitman. He graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1949 and proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Princeton during the Korean War (1950-1954). Rod married Tessie Gnader on October 15, 1951 at Grace Presbyterian Church in Council Bluffs. They were blessed with three sons, Rodney, Randy, and Ronald. Rod worked as a cable splicer for US West for 36 years, retiring in 1990. He was a member of New Horizon Presbyterian Church; Telephone Pioneers of America; Mall of the Bluffs Coffee Club and a long-time volunteer at Jennie Edmundson Hospital. In addition to his parents, Rod Was preceded in death by his brothers, Richard, Raymond, and Robert. Rod is survived by his wife of 68 years, Tessie Whitman of Council Bluffs; sons, Rodney D. (Deb) Whitman, Randy and Ron Whitman all of Omaha; grandsons, Mike, Doug, and Bill (Megan) Whitman; granddaughter, Kristen (Ryan) Crawford; great-grandsons, Kent and Jayson; great-granddaughters, Quinn and Blayne; nieces and nephews...[more]