March 28, 1924 – April 21, 2008
Quinton Holmes Whitson was born March 28, 1924 in Kirkwood. He was the fourth son born to Arthur Henry Sr. and Daisy Holmes Whitson. Quinton attended James Milton Turner Grammar School in Kirkwood and graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in Webster Groves. Quinton was baptized a member of Olive Chapel African Methodist Church in Kirkwood.
On February 20, 1943, Quinton was inducted into the U.S. Army and saw action in WWII. For his meritorious valor, Quinton was awarded two bronze star medals. His company, 241 Port Company-494 Port Battalion, was in the second wave of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. Quinton and his fellow soldiers went on to liberate the French, the Belgians, the Dutch and the survivors of concentration camps in Germany.
Like his older brothers Lawrence and Floyd Sr., Quinton was a motion picture projectionist in Local 143-A for 15 years. He also worked for St. Louis County Parks Department, becoming the first African-American Parks superintendent to reside on the park premises. After his retirement from St. Louis County Parks, he worked for St. Louis Public Schools.
Quinton leaves one daughter, Lavinia A. Whitson; a step-daughter, Saphya Keeton; a granddaughter, Nicole Annette Whitson; a grandson, Ruel Keeton; two nephews, Michael Whitson and Dr. Carter Whitson; great nieces, Laura M. Whitson, Teresa Thurman; great-nieces, Lauren C. Owens and Alexis I. Wagner; and great-nephews, Michael A. Phillips, Christopher R. Owens, Romeo D. Thurman and Cameron A. Thurman; and a host of cousins and friends.