On Sept. 11, 2023, the Mahoning Valley lost a good friend. Bill Whitehouse, a longtime Mill Creek Park naturalist, passed away just 25 days before his 88th birthday. He requested no obituary or funeral service, not even a death notice. While that request was honored, there were those who wanted to gather and remember their dear friend.

“I organized a memorial gathering [at Birch Hill Cabin] for those he left behind,” Mill Creek MetroParks naturalist emeritus Ray Novotny said. “At the gathering, I will start things off, followed by Bill’s widow Marianne, then others can offer their thoughts and memories. After we will take a walk around the Lily Pond.”

Last week, Novotny posted a tribute to Whitehouse on Facebook. The tribute enabled Novotny to reflect on the life of Whitehouse and what he had done for the Valley. Some of that tribute was presented at the gathering on Oct. 23.

In the tribute, Novotny said Whitehouse grew up near the park’s Lanterman’s Mill, which at the time served as a nature center. As a young lad Whitehouse and his father visited the museum frequently. As an older student, he continued to stop by on his walk home from Cleveland Elementary School.

Novotny said Whitehouse continued to visit Mill Creek Park and took nature hikes with naturalist Ernest Vickers and Lindley Vickers, a father and son team who worked for the park.

During the summer of 1952, Whitehouse got a job working at an Idora Park french fry stand. While there, he found out about a friend who was leaving his job at the Old Mill Museum for another position. Since the park paid 25 cents more than Idora, Whitehouse applied and on July 9, 1952, he began his lifelong career with the park.

Whitehouse only left for one year to attend DePauw University in Indiana, and for two years as a U.S. Army typist at Fort Know, Kentucky. He originally intended to teach mathematics, according to Novotny, but added biology / preforestry while attending Youngstown State University part time.

Whitehouse decided early on to devote himself to the park and is well known for his nature walks, eventually becoming the head naturalist for the park before it became Mill Creek MetroParks.

At the gathering, Whitehouse’s wife Marianne Whitehouse was present and was able to speak on her early years and a crush on Whitehouse.

“Bill was my first choice at the age of 12,” Marianne Whitehouse said. “He was three years older than I and had no interest in me at the time. I eventually got married and moved to California for 17 years. I came home in 1977 and found out Bill was between wives. He called me and invited me to dinner, but didn’t have enough money, so our first date was dinner with my parents.”

She said after that dinner date, she went back to California and divorced her husband, then returned to Ohio and married Bill in 1978.

“It took me 17 years to marry my first choice,” Marianne Whitehouse said.

At the gathering, the tales continued as people spoke of their own memories and experiences with Whitehouse. Novonty said he first met Whitehouse as a member of Boy Scout Troop 141 at the age of around 10.

Bill eventually became Novotny’s counselor for his Reptile Merit Badge. Because of that, the two became close friends. He said Bill had joined the park at 16, which allowed him to retire at 49 with his 30 years completed. He was able to name his successor, which was Novotny.

“Although no one, certainly not me, could ever really replace Bill, I have been and will continue to be forever grateful,” Novotny said.

Whitehouse continued to volunteer for nature walks in the park and from 1994 to 2004, he held hikes in Austintown Township Park. Novotny continued to stay in touch and Bill continued his walks until four years ago when he suffered a broken hip and afterwards had to use a walker to get around.

Last year, for Whitehouse’s 87th birthday, Novotny visited and gave him a small diecast model of a blue and white Volkswagen van that was a replica of the van Whitehouse owned when Novotny first met him.

“Bill was my original inspiration … and my friend for more than half a century,” Novotny said. “How I will miss him as will those he leaves behind: his wife Marianne, brother Ken, and four cats (Andy, Barley, Holly and Sweetie) as well as many friends and admirers.”