Cumi McDuffie Whigham, age 91, formerly of Montgomery and Opp, Alabama, passed away Thursday, November 7, 2024, at Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center and Nursing Home, Geneva, Alabama, where she had resided for the past year.

Cumi had a worker's heart and ethic, starting with her first job at Miss Pearl's Dress Shop in Samson, Alabama, at age 13. She found her niche in the working world when she became a dental assistant to Dr. Charles Burgess, Sr. in the early 1960s. In 1977, she received her dental hygienist training and license from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She worked for Dr. Jerry Paulk and Dr. John Warren in Opp before relocating to Montgomery. She was the dental hygienist for the J.S. Tarwater Mental Health Facility and worked under Dr. Bruce Sansom until her retirement.

She is survived by daughters, Rosemary Elebash (Brian), Tammy Ciccolella (John); and son, Ty Whigham. She is also survived by her sister, Erika Hutto (Mickey).  She was known as Duchess to her grandchildren, Sams Elebash, Chad Ciccolella, Christopher Ciccolella, Tyler Ciccolella, and Amy Ciccolella Chavez; great grandchildren, Aiden and Alessandra Chavez, Ryker Ciccolella, and Percy Ciccolella; and numerous nephews and nieces.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Reuben and Ila McDuffie; brothers, Hurshel McDuffie and Howard McDuffie; and sister, Foy Childs.

Funeral services will be held at Wyatt Funeral Home Chapel on Saturday, November 23, 2024, at 2, with visitation one hour prior to the service and burial at Peaceful Acres Memorial Gardens. Serving as pallbearers will be Sams Elebash, Christopher Ciccolella, Tyler Ciccolella, Jeb Spann, Jack Spann, and Jacob Spann.

In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials to the Opp First Methodist Church, PO Box 126, Opp, Alabama, 36467.