Roll Call Tribute

Erin Leslie Whitney 

November 22, 1983 - May 31, 2023 

If a person’s lifespan were determined by the experiences they relished, their character, or the number of hearts they touched, then Erin Leslie Whitney would have outlived us all. Sadly, Erin passed away due to recurrent lymphoma on Wednesday, May 31st 2023 at the age of 39. Although she spent the last year of her life in and out of treatment, her optimism was unshakable, she never despaired, and those of us that loved Erin are forever grateful for her inspiring example. 

Erin was born November 22, 1983 to Gail Bowen and Michael Whitney in Corpus Christi, Texas. She attended Flour Bluff High School and later graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Texas A&M University in 2006.

After graduation, Erin made her way to Austin, Texas where she lived for a short time before heading to Seattle, Washington for graduate school. There she received a master’s degree in Museology in 2009. In 2016, Erin moved from Seattle to Los Angeles, California where she found new career inspiration and attended UCLA to pursue a certificate in interior design in 2021. Also while in Los Angeles, Erin met Zenji Oguri with whom she found a true partner and true love.

She is survived by her mother, Gail, her father, Mike, her partner, Zenji, as well as her brother Ryan Whitney, her grandfather Weldon Bowen, her aunts, uncles, and cousins. Throughout her life Erin’s thoughtful, elegant, and genuine nature earned her many close friends who consider her to be the best friend many of them have ever had, and they will also carry on her memory and legacy.