Dec 1, 1994 - Aug 15, 2011

MacLean "Mac" Whittle, 16, was born December 1, 1994 in Santa Monica, CA and attended Claremont High School. 

From an early age he showed that he was not a quitter and excelled at his studies and activities. He played piano beautifully and enjoyed making his own music. He recently finished his final service project toward his Eagle Scout award by making blankets for troubled teens at the Etti Lee Youth & Family Services. 

Maclean cared about his friends and enjoyed youth activities from Church. His quick wit, intelligence, and fun loving nature was evident in all he did and will be missed  

MacLean Whittle Piano Medley of "Muse" Songs (May 13, 2011)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3W_AiKySW4

Family with ties to Claremont involved in deadly crash - August 15, 2011  

Glendora residents Randy and Vicki Whittle, along with their 2 children, MacLean and Brittany, died on Sunday in a plane crash near Burley Airport in Burley, Idaho. Maclean and Brittany went to school in Claremont.

According to the Salt Lake City Tribune and the Associated Press, the crash took place around 2 p.m. when the family was taking off in a small plane to visit Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The plane then went down and created a blaze when it hit the ground. As of Monday, the cause of the crash has not been determined.

Randy Whittle’s parents witnessed the crash and were hospitalized for emotional trauma after rushing to the site to find only wreckage and smoke, brother Dave Whittle said. 

MacLean was set to be a senior this fall at Claremont High School. He had attended Glendora High School for 2 years before transferring to CHS last year. This year would have been his first full year as a member of the CHS Chamber Singers.

Brittany had finished 8th grade at El Roble Intermediate School and was slated to be a freshman at CHS later this month. Like her brother, she was going to be involved in the CHS Choir department this year. 

“They were both great kids, excellent musicians and I think this is a real loss to the whole school community,” said CHS Choir Director Joel Wilson. “Both will be greatly missed.”
 

Family Killed in Plane Crash Remembered

The Whittle family, former Glendora residents who perished in a plane crash in Idaho Aug. 15, 2011 were honored during a memorial Tuesday.

A memorial for the Whitttle family, former Glendora residents who were killed last week in a small plane crash in Idaho, was held Tuesday at the Claremont Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where family members and friends came to pay their respects.

The family was headed to Provo, Utah for LDS Education Week at Brigham Young University, when the small aircraft they were riding in crashed shortly after takeoff Aug. 15 in Idaho. The family -- Randy Whittle, 42, his wife Vicki, 46, and their children, Maclean, 16, and Brittany, 13 -- were killed instantly in the fiery crash. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

MacLean and Brittany attended schools in the Claremont Unified School District for the past year after moving to Claremont from Glendora. The Whittle children had grown up in the Glendora Unified School District and were well known, said school board president Doug Ferrell.

"[They were] wonderful people, known by many," said Ferrell, closing Monday’s meeting in honor of the family.

Tuesday’s memorial gathered friends and family to remember the fondest memories the Whittles gave in life.

Kirsten Clark, a family friend, recalled 13-year-old Brittany as a girl whose attitude and laughter were contagious. Clark said the young Whittle daughter was a member of the Beehives, a group of 12-13 year olds who worked together in church. She wanted to be a singer when she was older and had a beautiful voice, according to Clark.

"I'm a better person for knowing the Whittle family. If there were no mourning in death, there would be no love in life and I know Brittany loved life," said Clark.

Lynn Forester, another family friend knew 16-year-old MacLean and said the Whittle boy, who suffered from asthma was an excellent musician, was a boy scout, loved to dance at school functions and had many friends.

"I so loved to hear him play," said Forester who added MacLean played the piano often at her early morning seminar class where she got to know the boy.

Forester said the Whittle boy wrote in a school questionnaire that he wanted to work for the CIA and that he did not allow his asthma to interfere with his participation in various sports.

"The inhaler was not going to win," said Forester.

MacLean was said to have loved church dances and even though boys are not allowed to attend them until they are at least 14 years old, Forester said MacLean coaxed his way into them earlier and showed others how to have wholesome fun at all the parties he attended.

Tanya Warren, another family friend said as the Whittle matriarch, Vicki, loved being with her family.

 "She really knew how to roll with the punches. She wasn't artsy or crafty, but she had enthusiasm and she educated herself and loved to learn,” said Warren.

Warren, who said she knew the Whittles well, added Vicki loved chocolate and was a kind person who knit clothes for women with breast cancer and sent gifts to soldiers stationed overseas, among other charitable acts.

Warren said she was shocked and saddened deeply by hearing about the Whittles' accident because they always took the time to know and love other people.

Family friend Robert LaRoche said 42-year-old Randy moved to Claremont from Glendora so that the children could be in a large ward.

He remembered many times when Randy would offer his home to others for church-related functions and to watch USC football games.

"Randy had a great perspective about what he had. He thought everything should be used and shared, even his home," LaRoche said.

Shaken CHS feels loss of Whittle family 

Claremont High School has been shaken this week by the loss of one of their own families. Claremont residents Randy and Vicki Whittle, along with their 2 children, MacLean and Brittany, died on Sunday as the result of a plane crash shortly after take-off near the runway at the Burley Airport in Idaho. The family was headed to Provo, Utah to visit Brigham Young University.

According to the Associated Press, only a wingtip and engine were recovered from the wreckage that was left after the plane caught fire. The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.

“They were a really good family,” Claremont High School ASB office manager Lynn Forester said. “They were here for just a year but they made an impact. They were a real close-knit family and so it was appropriate that they all went together because that’s the way they were in life.”

Mr. Whittle was president of Clarity Wealth Solutions—a Glendora based organization that promotes a proactive approach to preserving and growing personal wealth. The financial expert held a financial seminar at Claremont Graduate University in May. 

MacLean, 16, was slated to be a senior at CHS this fall while Brittany, 13, would have been a freshman. Both were musically inclined with MacLean anticipating being a member of the CHS Chamber Singers and Brittany joining the CHS Choir department. MacLean was also a pianist.

“They were both great kids, excellent musicians and I think this is a real loss to the whole school community,” CHS Choir Director Joel Wilson told the COURIER earlier this week.

According to CHS Speech & Debate adviser Dave Chamberlain, MacLean was a student with a heart for those less fortunate. The CHS instructor recalled helping the 16-year-old with an Eagle Scout project earlier this year.

“He was providing blankets for an organization that reaches out to children with special needs and I made a donation to that,” Mr. Chamberlain said. “It’s extremely sad because he was very talented. He came into my AP Composition class, which is pretty tough, and was excited and vibrant about what he was learning. There was a good spark about him.”

~ August 17, 2011 4:00 PM - Claremont Courier