Bud B. Whetstone, a prominent Little Rock attorney and deeply dedicated community champion, passed away on October 12, 2026, at the age of 84. Born on August 25, 1942, in El Dorado, Arkansas, Bud dedicated his life to advocating for others, both inside the courtroom and throughout his community.

Bud earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Arkansas and went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1969. That same year, he began what would become a distinguished, decades-long legal career. As the founder of the Whetstone Law Firm, Bud became widely respected across Central Arkansas for his fierce advocacy, integrity, and commitment to justice.

Beyond his legal achievements, Bud’s truest legacy lies in his profound generosity and love for his community. In memory of his beloved late son, Dalton, he founded the Dalton Whetstone Boys and Girls Club, providing a safe, supportive haven for generations of young people in Little Rock. His tireless civic leadership extended to his service on the boards of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arkansas and the P.A.R.K. Foundation.

Bud’s lifetime of service earned him numerous accolades, including the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association Outstanding Trial Lawyer award, the Pulaski County Bar Association Lawyer-Citizen Award, and the FBI’s Citizen of the Year award.

He was preceded in death by his father, Bernard P. Whetstone, his mother, Carolyn Whetstone, his former wife, Julie Brown Whetstone, his son, Dalton Whetstone, and his older sister, Ruth Whetstone Wagner.

Bud is survived by his daughter, Lee Whetstone Ellis, her husband Ben Ellis, and their daughter and Bud’s granddaughter, Hallie Ellis; his loving wife, Kim Whetstone, and her daughters, C.C. and Betsy; Betsy’s husband, Brian, and their sons Beau and Bear; and Bud and Kim’s extended family, Nick Pettus, his wife, Nicia, and their children, Olivia, Nicholas, and Kaitlyn.

He is also survived by his beloved younger sister, Martha Whetstone, and his nieces and nephews and grandnieces and nephews: Caroline Sykes, her husband, John Sykes, and Caroline’s children, Oliver Lorgen Whetstone and Madison Lorgen; Tracy Nonweiler, her husband, David Nonweiler, and their children, Sophie, Dalton and Jake Nonweiler; Annie Zanobini, her husband, Jason Koller, and their son, Miles Koller; and Kate Zanobini, and as well as a large community of extended family, colleagues, and friends whose lives he deeply touched.

Honorary pallbearers will be Antonio Mitchell, C.J. Meeks, K.J. Hunter, Damien McDowell, and Tyler Knight.

Bud’s sense of humor and colorful Southern stories will be missed by all who heard them. In fact, Bud enjoyed telling his stories so much he was more than happy to tell the same stories multiple times to everyone. Bud particularly enjoyed telling stories of his athletic exploits, specifically his track days and Junior High football adventures – those stories might not be missed as much. Bud loved telling funny Weird Bernie stories (his father was quite an eccentric person) and humorous stories about the colorful characters that he encountered along the way. He laughed so hard in the telling of these humorous stories that he could hardly get through them. And boy they were funny. The guy knew how to spin a tale.

Although he considered himself an introvert, Bud thrived on the attention he drew from others. He was a character in every way, but really, we will ultimately remember him as someone who was generous, kind, funny, sweet, loyal and loving.  For all who knew him and were touched by him, and there are many, he will never be forgotten and our love for him will never dim.

A Celebration of Life/ Memorial event will be scheduled at a later time.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Dalton Whetstone Boys and Girls Club or to Keith Jackson’s Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids ( P.A.R.K.) , both in Little Rock, to ensure his lifelong dedication to supporting local youth continues.

Cremation arrangements by A Natural State Funeral Service 2620 West Main Street, Jacksonville, Arkansas 72076. 501-982-3400. Online guestbook available at www.anaturalstatefuneralservice.com