William John “Bill” Whittaker, a former lighting designer and owner of Rainbow Lighting Co. who founded and ran Upstate Case Manufacturing Co. for more than three decades, died Feb. 26, 2024 at the age of 57.
Although Whittaker moved with his road case manufacturing firm to Mt. Juliet, TN, near Nashville, in 2014, he kept the company’s name, referring to its origins in Upstate New York. Whittaker also founded the FlyLite brand of road cases for rigging hoists.
While Whittaker dedicated 32 years of endless hours creating custom designs for each client that he worked with, his focus earlier in his career was on stage lighting. He toured with numerous artists and also played a key role on the backstage crew for Woodstock ’99.
Over the course of his career, Whittaker was known for his creativity, his attention to detail, and his dedication to his clients. He was also known for his love of jazz music and model trains.
Whittaker was preceded in death by his parents and a brother. He is survived by his wife, Melanie Whittaker; two sisters; and many other family members, colleagues and friends.
Services were held March 2 at Sellars Funeral Home and Mount Juliet Memorial Gardens in Mt. Juliet, TN. The family asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Nashville Steam Society Inc., www.nashvillesteam.org/donate
