North Coast Fossil Club

Virgil Stewart Whitesides, a former member of the North Coast Fossil Club, recently passed away on September 26, 2011 in Valley Village, California at the age of 82.

Virgil was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on September 19, 1929. He graduated from Tupelo High School as Salutatorian of the Class of 1947. In 1951, he graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. He was an outstanding graduate student at the University of Oklahoma in 1957 where he completed a Master of Science degree in Geology. He also completed 3 years of military service in the United States Air Force. He then worked as a petroleum geologist for many years, and, while with Exxon, participated in early surface geologic studies of Alaska's North Slope. Later, he discovered and developed thirteen gas wells in Northern Louisiana.

Virgil was twice widowed. He is survived by Audrey and Rachel Whitesides from his first marriage to Eleanor Whitesides. He is also survived by Sam, Peter, Becca, and Jen Ganterbein from his second marriage to Sandra Ganterbein. He is also survived by several grandchildren and his mother-in-law, Wilma Whitaker, Sandra's mother.