SEC Form 4

FORM 4		UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5
	Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* WHITMAN WILLIAM F JR (Last) (First) (Middle) 8050 S.E. LITTLE HARBOUR DRIVE H7 (Street) HOBE SOUND FL 33455 (City) (State) (Zip)	2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol MIDDLEBY CORP [ midd ]	5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) Director X 10% Owner X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below) Chairman of the Board
	3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 12/09/2003
	4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)	6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	12/09/2003		J(1)		1,898,974(2)	D	(1)	1,898,974(2)	D
Common Stock	12/09/2003		J(1)		1,898,974(2)	A	(1)	1,898,974(2)	I	By William F. Whitman Declaration of Trust

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. The transactions reported in this Form 4 constitute a change in the form of reporting person's beneficial ownership of the securities. For tax planning purposes, each of reporting person and reporting peson's spouse had assigned certain shares of common stock of the Middleby Corporation that they beneficially own to the two trusts. The Whitmans, the trusts, and the trust's trustee did not receive or pay any consideration in connection with such assignment. Under the terms of each trust, reporting person and reporting person's spouse have the right to acquire beneficial ownership of such securities within 60 days of the transfer.

2. Includes 255,300 shares of common stock deemed to be beneficially owned by reporting person's spouse.

	William F. Whitman, Jr.	12/19/2003
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.