Whalen note

You may be interested in the following note which I sent to several classmates who might have known Jim & Gill Whalen. It was sent shortly after Jim's passing in 2001.

Jim had a distinguished career culminating in 22 years as president of Ithaca College in New York. Click here for a copy of Ithaca's press release and bio on Jim: Ithaca News Release on Jim Whalen . The last time I checked, it was also available in the Ithaca archives at http://www.ithaca.edu/news/article.php?id=770 .

Scroll down from here to see a more recent update on Jim's wife, Gillian, whom many of you will also remember.

This may be old news to some of you, but I just found out that "Doc" Jim Whalen passed away on September 6 following some repetitive bouts with pneumonia and some other problems.

I think virtually everyone who attended the Munich Branch in the '58 - '60 time period will remember Doc Whalen as a caring member of the faculty who was always involved in student activities. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Jim continued his distinguished career after leaving Munich and eventually became president of Ithaca college in Ithaca, New York where he served for 22 years and had a great impact on the students and on the institution. Ithaca will hold a memorial service in Jim's honor this Friday, October 12.

For a brief announcement of Jim's passing, go to www.ithaca.edu/news. Click on the title of the announcement for a much fuller description of his career and accomplishments.

I talked briefly with Mary Maki, Jim's personal assistant. She said that Jim's wife, Gillian, whom all of you will also remember, is doing well "under the circumstances." She suggested that any expressions of condolence be sent through the mail rather than by phone as Gill has been inundated with phone calls.

On a personal note, I have enjoyed keeping up with several of you over the years and would like to hear from others. I got some of your addresses from the website: www.munichterrapin.org. For those who have not registered on it and are interested, it seems to be the most complete listing of alums of the Munich campus and I hope you'll consider registering and passing the word to others you may correspond with. There are several subpages with pictures and memorabilia which you might like. I think they're looking for more pictures and info. I hope to post some pics when I find some time. Thanks to Carlton "Woody" Woodell (62-63) for hosting and maintaining the site.

My wife, Keena, and I have just moved from Michigan to Salt Lake City. If any of you are in the area for the Olympics or for any other reason, it would be fun to get together. Also feel free to drop a note and let us know where you are living. Maybe we'll come see you. Is anyone interested in a reunion? As Brett Pechuls said in a recent email, "We need to get started on a reunion before we all get too old."

For those who remember "Doc" & Mrs. Whalen, you will recall that Jim Whalen passed away about three years ago after four years of declining health. Jim had retired as President of Ithaca College and he and his wife, Gillian, had planned on retiring to their home in New Hampshire, but Jim's health made Boston a better choice.

I was in Boston recently and was able to spend a delightful evening with Gill who, you will remember, was also on the faculty at Munich and was, right along with Jim, always supportive of the students and involved with them - both in and out of class. The years just before and after Jim's passing were very difficult for Gill, but I am happy to report that she has rebounded from that trial and is living a very full and fulfilling life. She has become a very active supporter of the arts, serving on the boards of the symphony, opera and ballet. She has her own PhD and is referred to as "Doctor Whalen" in her own right. She loves to travel world-wide and usually prefers going it alone so she can change her agenda on the spur of the moment, which she often does. She recently spent several months in South America - you may remember that she grew up there - and is currently somewhere on her self-designed around-the-world tour. I raised my eyebrows at her plans to travel solo through Afghanistan and Pakistan on this trip, but she assured me that she takes all due caution and feels confident that she will have no problems.