KENNEBUNKPORT –
Peter G. Whalon passed away Nov. 24, 2021. He was born in Ayer, Mass. Jan. 16, 1937 and spent his early life as a resident of Pepperell, Mass. where he attended grammar and junior high school. In 1954 he graduated Keith Academy, Lowell, Mass. where he played football and was captain of the baseball team.

He entered Tufts University in the fall of 1954 majoring in History and Economics. His interest in American History, Financial Markets and Sports would stay with him for the rest of his life. While at Tufts he was a member of Delta Upsilon Fraternity, The Sword and Shield Honorary Society, and the Varsity Club. He played football and baseball at Tufts, graduating in 1958. In his junior year, he entered the U.S. Marine Corps PLC program. Upon graduation, he became a Marine commissioned officer and spent three years on active duty at Quantico, Va., Okinawa, Japan and Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Upon his discharge from the Corps in 1961, he joined the C.F. Hathaway Company of Waterville as a sales representative in the Southwest and the Midwest. In 1963 he left Hathaway and joined Container Corporation of America. Peter’s career with CCA entailed many sales, sales management, marketing management and general management positions with an emphasis on customers with a large consumer market share in the food, ice cream and personal products industries.

In 1962 he married his college sweetheart and classmate, Rosalind Williams of Tenafly, N.J. They would spend nearly six decades of their lives together living in Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, California and Pennsylvania. In 1966 they welcomed the birth of their son, Paul.

In 1985 Peter became associated with Double H Plastics as vice president of sales and marketing concentrating on customers in the food and dairy industries and their packaging requirements. Retiring in 1994, the Whalons moved to Kennebunkport in 1995.

Always involved in community and civic activities, he served the Kennebunkport Historical Society in many capacities as a board member, special events chair, special projects chair, vice president and president from 1998 to 2000. He will be remembered as the well informed and occasionally humorous auctioneer at the society’s auctions. For 12 years Peter was a member of the Portland SCORE Chapter and in this capacity he counseled more than one hundred prospective, startup and fledgling businesses in Cumberland and York Counties. He also conducted a sales and marketing seminar attended by hundreds during his tenure at SCORE. For five years he was a member of the Budget Board of Kennebunkport.

An avid reader, Peter maintained a substantial library with many of his books autographed by their authors. He and Ros were avid collectors of early American antiques and American historical documents with an emphasis on U.S. Presidents and the Civil War. Blessed with the gift of memory, he conducted programs for a number of local organizations highlighted by historical artifacts and original documents and letters signed by presidents and famous Americans. A grant from the Whalons supports the George and Barbara Bush Distinguished Lecture Series at the University of New England.

Ros and Peter were worldwide travelers and enjoyed meeting and talking to the residents of foreign countries. His favorite destinations included The Yusopov Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia, Ayers Rock, Uluru, Australia and Ashford Castle, Cong, Ireland.

An energetic walker, Peter was a familiar sight on Kennebunkport’s Ocean Avenue where he had many friends and met visitors from all over the world. He often engaged them in conversation and occasionally provided a discourse on local, state and national history.

He was predeceased by his parents Helen and George Whalon of Waterville and Kennebunk Beach; and one brother, Michael Whalon, Ph.D. of Austin, Texas.

He is survived by his wife, Rosalind Whalon, of Kennebunkport; his son, Paul Whalon, and his daughter-in-law, Bethany Whalon, of Litchfield.

A funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 1 at St. Martha’s Church in Kennebunk with interment at Arundel Cemetery. Due to Covid-19 concerns, anyone attending is kindly asked to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.

To share a memory or leave a message of condolence, please visit Peter‘s Book of Memories Page at http://www.bibberfuneral.com

Arrangements are in care of Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer St., Kennebunk, ME 04043.

In lieu of flowers consider donating to the

Animal Welfare Society,

PO Box 43,

West Kennebunk, ME 04094

or at http://www.animalwelfaresociety.org,

or a charity of your choice.

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