Edwin H. "Ed" Whitehead (February 26, 1925 - May 20, 2007) was a lawyer

Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

 in Cheyenne

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...

, a former Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 member of the Wyoming House of Representatives

Wyoming House of Representatives

The Wyoming House of Representatives is the lower house of the Wyoming State Legislature. There are 60 Representatives in the House, representing an equal amount of single-member constituent districts across the state, each with a population of at least 9,000. The House convenes at the Wyoming...

, and an early supporter of John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

 for the American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 presidency.

Biography

Whitehead was one of five children born to Douglas and Edith Whitehead in Burns, a small community in Laramie County

Laramie County, Wyoming

Laramie County is the most populous of the 23 counties of the U.S. state of Wyoming. The county is located in the southeastern corner of the state. The county's population was 91,738 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Cheyenne, the state capital...

 near Cheyenne, the Wyoming state capital. On October 7, 1950, he married the former Janet C. Davis (born ca. 1930). He served in both the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 and United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 during both World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 and the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

.

Whitehead was a partner in the firm Whitehead, Gage & Davidson, but in his later career he was a sole practitioner. He was a past chairman of the Laramie County Democratic Central Committee, a former president of Young Democrats of Wyoming, and a member of the American and Laramie County bar associations. In 1960, he was a delegate at the Democratic National Convention

Democratic National Convention

The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...

 in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

, which assembled the Kennedy-Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...

 ticket. He served three terms in the Wyoming House from 1967-1972.

Whitehead died in Cheyenne. He had a son, Michael Whitehead of Kimberton, Pennsylvania

Kimberton, Pennsylvania

Kimberton is an unincorporated community in East Pikeland Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The zip code is 19442. Originally settled in the late 18th century, it was not named until 1817. Like many surrounding villages, Kimberton developed around a tavern; in this case, the...

; two daughters, Karen Dilks of Sedona, Arizona

Sedona, Arizona

Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona...

, and Laura Ditges of Broomfield, Colorado

Broomfield, Colorado

The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...

; a brother, Walter Whitehead of Pendleton, Oregon

Pendleton, Oregon

Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...

; and two sisters, Carrie Shenefelt of Ogden, Utah

Ogden, Utah

Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...

, and Irma Dewey of Cottonwood, Arizona

Cottonwood, Arizona

Cottonwood is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 11,171.-Geography:Cottonwood is located at ....

, and four grandchildren.

Whitehead was cremated at Cheyenne Memorial Gardens under the direction of Wiederspahn-Radomsky Chapel of the Chimes.

Three other former Cheyenne lawmakers, all Republicans

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

, died within a month of Whitehead's passing: Joseph D. Selby

Joseph D. Selby

Joseph David Selby was a Cheyenne lawyer who served as municipal judge from 1978–1982 and as a Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives from District 41 in Laramie County from 1995-1997....

 on April 20, Larry D. Shippy

Larry D. Shippy

Larry Deleo Shippy was a Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives, having served in Laramie County District 8, including part of Cheyenne, from 1993–1996. Shippy was known for his efforts to expand the privatizing of government services...

 on June 8, and Robert Schliske

Robert Schliske

Robert Paul Edward Schliske, I , was a founder of Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne and a former Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives. He served in the House from 1971-1975 during the administration of Republican Governor Stanley K...

on June 21, 2007, respectively.