Wanda Joyce Whitten went to be with our Lord and Savior on November 9, 2026. She was the only child of the late Henry Allen Whitten and Betty Chipman Whitten. Her parents, taught her hard work, community, and caring for others — values that shaped the rest of her life.

Wanda grew up in Memphis, attended Treadwell School, and graduated with the class of 1958. She went on to Mississippi State College for Women, where she earned a BS degree in Foods and Nutrition.

After college she completed a dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University, where she stayed for nine years, including time as Dietary Education Director for Vanderbilt’s dietetic internship program.

Wanda became the first director of the dietary department at Redmond Park Hospital, which opened in July 1972, arriving while the new kitchen was still being unboxed, the space was dark, and the floor was still dirt. As she liked to say, “I came with the brick!” She would serve the Rome community for more than five decades.

A registered dietitian, Wanda served as Redmond’s first Director of Nutritional Services, later moved into Marketing and Community Relations, and directed the hospital’s H2U Senior Adult Program. During her more than 50 years at Redmond, she also served as Food Service Director, Customer Service and Wellness Coordinator, Director of Senior Friends Program, and Marketing Director, and most recently as Event Planner — a role that led her to coordinate the annual Heart of the Community Service Program. She coordinated countless health events, trips, newsletters, and community programs, and received the Dr. Thomas F. Frist Humanitarian Award for outstanding service. In 2007 she became Event Planner and Coordinator for The Heart of the Community Foundation, overseeing its annual Awards of Honor gala and other outreach. One of her most meaningful projects was the Heart House, a place for out-of-town families of critically ill patients to stay near their loved ones; in 2013 the Foundation named it the Wanda J. Whitten Heart House. She received the 2025 Board of Governors Award, and in September 2024, AdventHealth Redmond announced her retirement after 52 years of service.

Beyond the hospital, Wanda gave generously to Rome through the Exchange Club of Rome, the Pilot Club of Rome, and the Senior Promotions Council. She served as Director of the Miss Rome Scholarship Program and Field Director for the Miss Georgia Scholarship Program, where she mentored and encouraged young women across Georgia for many years. She was a member Garden Lakes Baptist Church.

For Wanda, food was a way to show love. Redmond’s cafeteria became a gathering place, especially for Sunday lunch after church, and her banana pudding became one of her most requested dishes. As she often said, “Food brings people together faster than anything.”

She was preceded in death by her parents.

She is survived by her many friends, who will miss her greatly — among them Roger Brown, her friend of more than fifty years, and Reesa Milton, her longtime friend through weddings, pageants, and travel. In her final days, Wanda entrusted Roger and Reesa with seeing to her final wishes and arrangements, a trust that speaks to how deeply she valued their friendship and care. She was also deeply loved by Nick and Melody Noyes who helped Wanda with her daily life after her retirement.

Friends will be received from noon until 2:00 p.m. at Garden Lakes Baptist Church in Rome, Georgia, and the celebration of life will follow at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 14, 2026 with Dr. Jeffrey Howard officiating; eulogies offered by, Mr. Billy Murdock, Mrs. Melody Noyes and Mr. John Quinliven and music provided by Mrs. Darlene Weaver Wright, Dr. Allan Wingard and Mrs. Gina Hicks. Interment will be at Memorial Park Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38119. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wanda Whitten Heart House by sending a check to PO Box 5064, Rome, GA 30162.

Daniel’s Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with the services for Ms. Wanda Joyce Whitten.

In her own words, from At the Heart of It All: “I have had a wonderful life, and I am deeply grateful for the many friends, colleagues, and loved ones who have walked this journey with me.”