Denise Majel Whitten passed away peacefully on August 18th, 2024 in Seattle, Washington surrounded by her family. She was born on February 1st, 1962 in Bellingham, Washington to Dennis Barrett and Jeriene Morris. She grew up and lived in Bellingham until 1974 when she moved to Colville with her family. Throughout her childhood, she loved to read, play volleyball, and cheerlead. She graduated from Colville High School in 1980 and attended Eastern Washington University earning her degree in marketing and communications. After graduating in 1984, she stayed in the Spokane area working in the sales department at the Ramada Inn.

In1985, she gave birth to her firstborn, Christopher. At this time she returned to Colville and became the Program Director at the Jesse Webb Vocational Center. It was at a fundraising event she met Jeff Whitten, spending the entire evening getting to know one another. And the rest is history, as they say. They married in Colville on June 11th, 1988 and on November 24th, 1989 they welcomed their daughter, Elizabeth Majel to the world. Then in 1995, Nicole joined and completed the Whitten family.

After working as a para educator at Colville High school, she joined Jeff at Whitten Oil, growing the business together and expanding locally into the surrounding communities of Eastern Washington. Her love for her community, her village, shone through her myriad of volunteer efforts. For years, she served on the Chamber of Commerce, Tree of Sharing Committee, School Advisory Boards, Parish Advisory Council for the Immaculate Conception Church, as well as President of PEO Chapter AX for two years and maintaining an active role in their efforts for years following her leadership.

Her deep love for her children led her to a wide array of positions supporting their many endeavors to include Missoula Children's Theatre, the Colville Sharks Swim Club, the FAST Ski team at 49 Degrees North, and even as a panelist for Senior Project Presentations at Colville High School.

She and Jeff eventually sold their business and after many years of hard work and labor of love enjoyed traveling, playing tennis and taking long walks chatting with dear friends.

In 2014, the Whitten family expanded once again with the blessing of their first grandchild, Edith. As family was central to Denise's character, they made the choice to join Christopher and his wife, Tracey, in Seattle to enjoy and support the early years of Edie's life and subsequently her younger brother, Oliver. Meanwhile, their grandson, Henry, was born in sunny California, giving them more than enough reason to escape the rain for trips down to see him. Despite life's tribulations and struggles, Denise always made time to play, laugh, and offer comfort to her grandchildren. These were the three greatest loves of her life, and in turn, they could not have asked for a more doting, patient Nana.

She was preceded in death by her fathers Dennis Barrett and Chuck Morris. She is survived by her husband, Jeff, son Christopher, his wife Tracey, and daughters Nicole and Elizabeth, as well as her three grandchildren: Edith (10), Henry (7), and Oliver (6), her mother Jeriene Morris, brothers Jon Barrett , Patrick Barrett (Racquel), Michael Morris (Maartje)  and Damond Morris (Laura), sister Carrie Schultz, sisters in law, Camille Hattrick (John), as well as numerous extended relatives and a village of love and support from her home, Colville Washington.

Services for Denise Whitten will begin with a rosary service at 7:00PM at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Colville. A funeral Mass will then be held at 2:30 PM, also at the Immaculate Conception with a graveside service to follow at Calvary Cemetery, Colville. A reception to follow to celebrate our dear mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and Nana will follow at the Elk's Lodge, Colville.

As Denise's heart was full of empathy and concern for her fellow human, please feel free to donate to the Colville Tree of Sharing or the Susan G. Komen Foundation if your heart calls you to do so.