Promoted to Glory: Major Kathleen Whittaker

Major Kathleen Whittaker was Promoted to Glory at the age of 69 on September 3, 2026. 

Kathleen Ann Gorbutt was born on November 26, 1956, in New Castle, DE, to parents Frank and Martha Gorbutt. Her journey of faith began as a teenager when she accepted Christ as Savior and Lord at the Prince Georges Corps in Maryland. 

Kathy’s love for the Lord and desire to serve others eventually led her to answer God’s call to Salvation Army officership, and on June 3, 1984, she was commissioned with the rank of lieutenant as a member of the Servants of God session of cadets. 

Her appointments included: Shelby, Wilson, and Wilmington, NC; Daytona Beach, FL; and the Florida Divisional Headquarters, where she served as assistant to the Director of Women’s Organizations. Other corps appointments followed in Galveston and Port Arthur, TX; Beaufort, SC; and Washington, NC. 

On March 17, 2000, she married Major Dan Whittaker, the two ministering together until their retirement from active service on July 1, 2010. 

Major Kathleen Whittaker is preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Gary Gorbutt. 

She is survived by her husband of 26 years, Major Daniel Whittaker; one sister, Lorraine (Steve) Bennett; and five children, Major Lynda (Christopher) Thornhill, Kenneth Scott (Alisha) Fagan, Michelle Potter, Amy (Randy) McClendon, and Gary Daniel Whittaker, II. She also leaves five grandchildren.