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Richard Whiting Obituary

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Richard Whiting

Thomaston, ME

July 9, 1931 - April 15, 2011

Richard Whiting Obituary

Richard E. “Dick” Whiting ,79, of St. George, Maine, and Indian River Shores, Florida died peacefully Friday evening at Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport surrounded by his loving family. The son of Arthur Edward Whiting and Sadie Harriet Whiting (née Jacobs) was born on July 9, 1931 in Lewiston, Maine and raised in the Auburn area. He is survived by his wife, his children and 13 grand-children. He was predeceased by his brothers Adelbert and Raymond Whiting and sisters Alice Burdin and Elinor Hill. An avid athlete and sportsman all his life, he attended Edward Little High School, graduating in 1949 and was a stand-out athlete in football, skiing and track and field. A local gentleman and patron of Dick’s father’s service station, who happened to be an alumnus of Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, took a personal interest in the hard-working young man and helped arrange a scholarship for him to attend Cushing in 1949-50. It was during this fateful year that he met and fell in love with his future wife, Elaine Barbara “Lanny” Bland, and following an extended courtship the couple was married on August 29, 1953. Of special interest in their more than 60 years together was that the “star-crossed lovers” shared a birthday in common, albeit 3 years apart! Dick graduated from Colby College in 1954 and he and Lanny celebrated that event with the arrival of their first-born, Christopher (Doylestown, OH) in June of that year. Including Christopher, they had 6 children in all, Thomas (Rockland, ME), Jennifer (deceased at birth), Susan (Cumberland Center, ME) , Lee (Park City, UT) and Daniel (Cumberland Center, ME). Dick went on to graduate from Boston University Law School in 1958 and commenced law practice in Rumford, Maine. During his over 40 year career he practiced general law, and was of counsel to and a lobbyist for Oxford Paper Company, Ethyl Corporation and Boise Cascade Corporation and the Maine Bar Association. He also served as President of Oxford County Bar Association. A dedicated public servant, and life-long Republican, he also was elected and served as probate judge in Oxford County from 1973 through 1996. During his time on the bench he served as President of the Maine Probate Judges Assembly and served on a revision commission recommending reforms which later were adopted as legislation and passed by the Maine State Legislature effectively modernizing Maine probate code and procedure. He received a special recognition for his distinguished service from the Probate Judges Assembly and the Maine State Legislature in 1997 upon his retirement from the court. In 2009, upon his 50th anniversary as a member of the bar, he was presented with the honor of Life Member from the Maine State Bar Association. Throughout his life, Dick enjoyed the company of good friends in the outdoors fishing, hunting, skiing, organic gardening, and mountain-climbing. He was an avid reader, had a keen interest in current events, adventure and history authors and along with Elaine enjoyed collecting art and spending their summers enjoying his native Maine and wintering in Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas and Vero Beach area, Florida. For those wishing to view or leave comments in his memory, an online tribute “Book of Memories” webpage has been set up and can be found at www.hallfuneralhomes.com/thomaston.html A memorial service for family and friends is planned for June 2011. Should friends desire, donations in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, 51 U.S. Route 1, Suite ME, Scarborough, ME 04072 or you may visit his website with American Heart Association at http://honor.americanheart.org/site/TR?pxfid=191330&pg=fund&fr_id=1030 Arrangements are entrusted to Hall & Bibber Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 78 Main Street, Thomaston.

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