MILLBROOK – Robert W. Whalen, 82, of Sarasota, FL. died May 6, 2015. He was a longtime resident of Millbrook, NY, until he moved to Sarasota in 1989. He continued to spend his summers in Millbrook and other areas of Dutchess County until 2009.
Bob was born on November 6, 1932 in Poughkeepsie, NY. He graduated from Millbrook Memorial High School with Valedictory Honors in 1950. He attended Fordham College in Bronx, NY, where he graduated with a BS in Sociology/Philosophy in 1954. He served in the United States Army as Second and First Lieutenant from 1954 to 1956. In his early career, he worked for W.W. Morrison in Frankfurt, Germany, at IBM in New York City, and George T. Whalen, Inc, in Millbrook. He founded Whalen Computer Services, Inc. in 1971, which he ran as President until he sold it in 1984.
He was a board member of the of Stissing National Bank of Pine Plains from 1967 until 2010, and was President or Chairman of the Board for much of that time. Over the years, he served on various non-profit boards including St. Francis Hospital, Millbrook Tribute Gardens, Millbrook Central School Board of Education, Millbrook Free Library, Poughkeepsie Area Fund, and Chairman of the Town of Washington Planning Board. He also served as board member for Taconic Press and Paul J. Haight & Company, Inc.
Contemplating and discussing spirituality was a lifelong passion, and beginning in 1989, Bob taught adult education classes on spirituality and philosophy in Sarasota for much of the next two decades. He enriched the lives of hundreds of students during that time.
He was predeceased by his wife, Ann Holland Whalen, in 2012. Survivors include four sons, Gregory of Evanston, IL, Keith of Sarasota, FL, Mark of Waltham, MA, and David of Millbrook, NY; a daughter, Gail Smullen of Clifton Park, NY; two brothers, George T. Whalen, Jr. and Richard Whalen, both of Millbrook; and six grandchildren, Mackenzie, Jessica, Shelby, Daniel, Laura, and Colby.
Visitation will be held at, 3270 Franklin Ave, Millbrook on Monday, May 18 between 5 and 9 PM. A private funeral is planned. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Lewy Body Dementia Association would be appreciated: www.lbda.org.
