Willene Johnston Whatley of Evergreen, Alabama passed away May 22, 2025.  

Funeral services will be held 2:00 pm., Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at Evergreen First United Methodist Church. Rev. Greg Hart will officiate. Burial will follow in the Magnolia Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to services at the church. Cope-Keahey directing.

Willene was born in Conecuh County, Alabama on September 11, 1939, and was raised in the Johnstonville community. She attended the University of Montevallo completing a degree in Home Economics.  Following graduation she pursued a career in education and shortly afterwards met her late husband of 44 years William “Bill” Whatley.  Willene and Bill raised 4 daughters in Evergreen and owned The Evergreen Grocery and The Four Sisters clothing boutique.Willene had a lifelong passion for education and in addition to teaching she served for decades in multiple local and state educational capacities.  She was elected to the Conecuh County Board of Education in 1986 and served in that capacity for 21 years and was one of the seven longest serving state school board members in Alabama. As a member of the Board of Education Willene served as Vice Chairman and in 2007 she was appointed to the Alabama All-State School Board.  The University of Montevallo recognized her years of educational service in 2015 receiving the University’s Education’s Lifetime Commitment to Education Award.Willene was proud of her small town roots and dedicated many years of service to Conecuh County including the Evergreen First United Methodist Church where she was a Sunday School teacher and Chair of the Church Administrative Council.

She is survived by her four daughters Kimberly (Mark) Skodack, Sherri (Ryan) Daugherty, Kelly (Kevin) Pettit, and Paige (Hunter) Gasser; grandchildren Alyson (Brian) Skodack Burkett, Travis Skodack, Kyle (Holly) Daugherty, Cullen Daugherty, Kara (Ben) Pettit Nippert, Turk (Makenzie) Pettit, Elise Gasser, and Will Gasser; and 4 beautiful great grandchildren Watson Burkett, Lillian Burkett, Ada Grace Nippert, Poppi Pettit and 2 additional great grandchildren will be added this year.

Preceded in death by parents Laban and Thelma Wilson Johnston, brother Wayne Johnston, and sister Kathleen Betts