LILBURN—Deacon J. Eugene Whitmeyer of Lilburn died March 20. He was 83.

Deacon Whitmeyer was a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Korean War. He was a graduate of Kent State University in Ohio and became an architect design engineer.

Deacon Whitmeyer was ordained to the permanent diaconate for the Archdiocese of Atlanta on June 10, 1995 by Archbishop John F. Donoghue. He met Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta during her visit to Atlanta on June 13, 1995.

Although his home parish was then Corpus Christi Church in Stone Mountain, he was assigned initially to serve at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Decatur. He was then requested by Corpus Christi Church and served as a deacon there until he retired. Following retirement as a deacon, he and his wife became parishioners of St. John Neumann Church in Lilburn.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Linda, of Lilburn; daughter, Mary, of Newnan; daughters and sons-in-law, Karen and Terry Eaton, of Newnan; Lorrie and Jason Smith, of Lilburn; and Diane and Paul Henderson, of Snellville; and sons and daughters-in-law, Alan and Sherri Whitmeyer, of Wilbraham, Mass.; Joseph and Rosemary Whitmeyer, of Charlotte, N.C.; Steven and Shelley Whitmeyer, of Harrisonburg, Va.; and Chris and Laura Shuler, of Duluth. He is also survived by four sisters, one brother and 18 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Bishop David P. Talley was celebrant of the funeral Mass celebrated March 24 at St. John Neumann Church. Interment followed at Lilburn Memorial Gardens.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. John Neumann Church, 801 Tom Smith Road, SW, Lilburn, GA or Abbey Hospice, 215 Azalea Court, Social Circle, GA 30025.