Lester E. “Fritz” Whitman III, 75, of Lebanon County, passed away on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Fox Subacute Care, Mechanicsburg. He was the husband of Cindy L. (Reichard) Whitman. On June 10, they would have celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary.

Born on Aug. 3, 1949, in Bethesda, MD, Fritz was the son of the late Lester E. and Joyce (Fritz) Whitman. He was a 1967 graduate of Lebanon Senior High School. After graduating, he proceeded to enter the U.S. Marines on Nov. 10, 1967. He served in the Vietnam War from 1968-1969 and remained in the Marine Corps. until August 1970. During his time of service, he received the following medals: National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal w/1*, Good Conduct Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal w/device, Rifle/Marksman Badge, and the Purple Heart. After leaving the military, Fritz worked for the Lebanon Daily News as the composing room foreman until moving on to work for the federal government at Fort Indiantown Gap as the chief of admin services until retiring in 1995.

Fritz enjoyed hunting, fishing, and anything to do with the outdoors. Sports were a regular favorite while watching Penn State football, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Marine Corps. League and a long-time member and volunteer of the Hemlock Archery Club. His greatest loves were his wife, Cindy, daughters, Missy and Jaime, and beautiful grandsons, Connor and Gavin.

Surviving, in addition to his wife, are his daughters, Missy (Michael) Schmelz and Jaime (Daniel) Morgan; grandsons, Connor and Gavin; brother, Tom (Cindy) Whitman; sister, Lisa (Stu) Halsell; and a number of nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at the Kreamer & Lum Funeral Home & Crematory, Jonestown. There will be a viewing one hour prior to the service. Interment with military honors will follow at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Disabled American Veterans at help.dav.org or the COPD Foundation at copdfoundation.org.

At Kreamer & Lum Funeral Home, we have years of experience caring for families, from all walks of life. Each family comes to us because they know we are leaders in our profession, dedicated to excellence in service, and have the highest integrity.