Ellsworth Earl Witmer, age 85, passed away peacefully on September 21, 2022, surrounded by his wife and family at their home in Maitland, FL.

Earl was born November 19, 1936, in Oil City, PA. He was the youngest child of William Ellsworth Witmer and Ruth Durner Witmer's five children - Katherine, George, Paul, Charles, and Earl. Earl was a precocious child with a great sense of curiosity, adventure, and exploration. One day at the young age of 5, instead of walking to his kindergarten class down the road, Earl decided instead to skip school and walk to the local dairy farm where he proceeded to ask the farmer if he had any chocolate milk! The farmer, recognizing him, promptly called Earl's father to pick him up for school instead.

That sense of adventure and exploration led Earl to enlist in the U.S. Navy at the age of 17. This small-town Pennsylvania country boy found himself stationed at the U.S. Naval Base in Key West, FL where he met the love of his life, Dora Mariana Garcia. They met at the beach on the Naval Base and were instantly smitten with each other. Earl and Dora were married in 1955 at the age of 18 at El Salvador Methodist Church in Key West, FL where they began their long and loving life together.

Earl entered the Navy in Fleet Sonar School and he proudly served on the USS Albany CA-123, USS Barney DDG-6, USS Coolbaugh DE-217, and USS Sampson DDG-102 over the course of his Naval career. During this time, Earl traveled to several countries including Italy, Spain, and Greece. He retired at the highest enlisted rank of U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO), STMC, E9 with 22 years of dedicated service to his country.

The Navy prepared Earl well for his second career in life as an Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineer for IBM, where he traveled routinely to Germany to help launch IBM's first EMC laboratory there. He retired from IBM as a Senior EMC Engineer after 20 years of service.

Earl and Dora were blessed with five children, Ruth, Steven, Sheryl, Briana, and Brenda. Earl and Dora's strong faith in God guided them as they raised their children. They were active in the church and Earl was a regular member of the United Methodist Men's Group. Earl also enjoyed gardening and was very talented in plant propagation, particularly with the many varieties of citrus trees he planted in their yard.

Earl was a loving, loyal, and devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend. In addition to his parents, Earl is predeceased by his sister, Katherine, his brothers George and Paul, and his son, Steven Witmer. He is survived by his wife Dora Witmer (nee Garcia), his brother Charles Witmer, and his sisters-in-law Yolanda Choser, Cecilia Gerow, and Manuela Hannah. He leaves behind his daughters Ruth "Sunni" Witmer, Sheryl Jensen, Briana Witmer, and Brenda Witmer Bennett, his son-in-law Kevin Bennett, and his granddaughters Rachel Bennett and Nicole Bennett, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews.

A service for Earl will be held on Thursday, October 6, 2022, at Asbury United Methodist Church, 220 Horatio Avenue W., Maitland, FL 32751.

Visitation will be at 10:00 a.m. followed by a church service at 11:00 a.m.
Interment will be private.
If anyone so chooses, flowers may be sent to DeGusipe Funeral Home, 9001 Orlando Avenue, Maitland, FL 32751, or a donation to the charity of your choice can be made in his name.

Fair winds and following seas, Earl.