Kenneth Whalen, of Vero Beach, passed away on Sept. 29, 2014, after a brief illness.
He is survived by his daughter Jean Carosi; sons Dan Whalen and Tom Whalen; grandsons Derek Carosi, Brendan Carosi, John Whalen and Tim Whalen; and granddaughters Kate Whalen-Vuylsteke and Eileen Partridge; and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Bette Whalen, and their oldest son, Richard J. Whalen.
An accomplished athlete, Whalen attended Whitehall High School, Dartmouth College and graduated from Union College in 1949. He was a member of the 1949 Eastern College All Star football team which defeated the New York Giants in the 11th annual Fresh Air Fund Game.
During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Stockdale, a destroyer escort which saw action in the North Atlantic and Pacific theaters, and participated in the search for Amelia Earhart. He retired from AT&T in 1984 as an Executive Vice President after a 34 year career in the Bell Telephone Company.
He served on the boards of a number of companies, including Warner Lambert, American Motors, Manulife and Core Industries.
He and his wife of 65 years, Bette Whalen, were active supporters of numerous civic, charitable and academic organizations, including Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. and Long Trail School in Dorset, Vt.
A lifelong Catholic, he worshipped at The Church of the Holy Cross in Vero Beach and at St. Paul’s in Manchester, Vt. He was a Knight of Malta.
Interment will be at Our Lady of Angels Cemetery in Whitehall, NY. Arrangements are under the direction of Strunk Funeral Home, Vero Beach. A guestbook is available online at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.
