James Donald “J.D.” Whitham (1899-1972) was born at Westmount, Quebec and first came to Kelowna with his family in 1912. The family cultivated an orchard in the Glenmore area shortly after arrival. After graduating from Kelowna High School, Whitham went on to the B.C. School of Pharmacy and Science and then worked briefly in Vancouver, but soon returned to Kelowna. He worked as a pharmacist at Willit’s Drug Store before buying a store in Kelowna with his partner, G.A. Elliot. In 1964, Whitham sold his interest in the store to his partner but continued working in pharmacies in Kelowna and other parts of the Okanagan. Alongside his professional work, Whitham was passionate about photography as well as the history of the Okanagan region. He went on to become the president of the Okanagan Historical Society from 1955-1959, and an Honorary Life Member of the Okanagan Historical Society in 1967. He was also a charter member of the Cariboo Historical Society and a member of the Boundary Historical Society.

J.D. Whitham married Florence Bartlett Clements in June 1928. Together they had a son, James Gordon, and a daughter, Dorothy Jean.