Funeral services for Javan Cleveland Whittington of Cordele will be held Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at Cordele First United Methodist Church. Lee Guerry will officiate. Burial will follow in Sunnyside Cemetery.  The family will receive friends prior to the service Wednesday beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the church. Van, 83, passed away Sunday, December 24, 2017 at Crisp Regional Hospital. He was preceded in death by his wife, Luann Whittington, a son, Tommy Theus and siblings, Mike Whittington and Imogene Mayfield. Van was born in Crisp County to the late Grover Cleveland Whittington and Hilda Beatrice Whittington.  A United States Army veteran serving during World War II, he retired from a printing company in Atlanta before returning back to the Cordele area. He was an active and faithful member of Cordele First United Methodist Church and a member of the Wesley Fellowship Sunday School Class. He sang in the church choir for over 40 years and was also a member of the Senior Choir. Van had loved his Georgia Bulldogs since attending the University for two years but his passion in life was golf and spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is survived by his children, a daughter, Cynthia Elaine Evans of Lawrenceville, a son and his wife, James Cleveland and Phyllis Whittington of Ashville, NC; two step-daughters, Robin Theus of Cordele and Cathy Theus of Lafayette; his daughter-in-law, Maurine Theus of Hawkinsville;  a brother and his wife, Jerry and Barbara Whittington of Pineview; three sisters, Vicki Dickerson and her husband, Dickie of Cordele, Karon Childs and her husband, Ken of Ideal and Wanda Middlebrooks  of Montezuma; grandchildren, Lauren Brooke Whittington, Krissy Murphy, Jenny Theus, Candie Dinkins Walters, Heath Dinkins and Heather Dinkins Hatcher; and six great-grandchildren, Annelise Murphy, Maddie Murphy, Anna Mae Hatcher, Lily Hatcher, Kayeen Thompson and McKenna Thompson. Arrangements are by Rainey Family Funeral Services. An online guestbook is available at www.raineyfuneral.com