John F. Whalen Sr., 80

01/08/2008

Great Barrington - John F. "Hink" Whalen Sr., 80, of Egremont Road died Jan. 8 at Berkshire Medical Center. Born in Hartford, Conn., on June 9, 1927, son of Joseph P. and Louise Merwin Whalen, he was raised in Lee and was a 1946 graduate of Lee High School. An Army veteran of World War II, he served with the 34th Infantry Regiment on the island of Kyushu. He enlisted on Sept. 27, 1946, and was honorably discharged on Jan. 17, 1948, and received several campaign medals. Following the war, Mr. Whalen was employed as a driver for the former B&P Transportation and then for the former Old Colony Transportation for 28 years, retiring in the late 1970s. For the next 10 years, he worked as a caretaker of properties throughout the Great Barrington area. He was a member of John A. Modolo Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8348 and enjoyed both fishing and ice fishing, hunting and restoring old cars and tractors. He and his wife, the former Joyce D. Wylie, were married July 16, 1955, in Winter Park, Fla. She died Sept. 16, 2007. He leaves a daughter, Susan Whalen Frechette of Harvard; two sons, John Francis Whalen Jr. of Windham, Maine, and Thomas Whalen of Great Barrington; five brothers, Joseph Whalen of Tyringham, Robert Whalen and David Whalen, both of Lee, Raymond Whalen of Stockbridge and William Whalen of Cohoes, N.Y.; a sister, Margaret Martel of Manchester, N.H.; and three grandchildren. FUNERAL NOTICE -- The funeral for John F. Whalen Sr., who died Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008, will be conducted Friday at 11 a.m. at FINNERTY & STEVENS FUNERAL HOME in Great Barrington by the Rev. Daniel Papineau, MIC, pastor of St. Mary's Church in Lee. Burial will follow in Mahaiwe Cemetery in Great Barrington. The family will receive friends Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home. A generous man, he was always willing to help others. John and his wife enjoyed spending their winters in Venice, Fla. He was a family man who was happiest when with his wife and children. Donations may be made to the James A. Modolo VFW Post 8348 Scholarship Fund in memory of John F. Whalen Sr. or to the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Foundation, both through the funeral home, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. Mr. Whalen also leaves a son-in-law, Christopher Frechette; a daughter-in-law, Kim Harwood Whalen (Thomas); three grandchildren, Alec, Adam and Nicholas; and nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. He was predeceased by two brothers, Donald and Michael Whalen, and by his sister, Elizabeth Norman. Remembrances, memories and reflections may be sent to the family through www.finnertyandstevens.com.

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John F. Whalen Sr., 80

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