Richard L. Whittaker

Richard (Dick) Whittaker, 88, longtime resident of Stoneham passed away peacefully on July 4, 2018.  Dick was born in Scituate, Massachusetts to Maud (Hall) and Carl A. Whittaker.  Dick was the loving husband of the late Pauline (Hunter) Whittaker.  He was the beloved father of Terie L. Diat and her husband Jon of New York, NY, Gregory R. Whittaker and his wife Penny of Stoneham, and Suzanne L. Nolan and her husband Robert of Stoneham.  He was the loving Papa of Jacquelyn and Ryan Nolan and Thomas and Sophia Whittaker all of Stoneham.   Also survived by his dear companion Virginia Kelly of Stoneham, his sister-in-law Barbara MacArthur of Tampa, FL, as well as several nieces and nephews.    Dick was the brother of the late Ruth Roberts and Emily Finnie of Scituate.
After graduating from Scituate High School in 1948, Dick went on to play baseball in the Cape Cod league and with the Boston Braves minor league team.  Dick served in the US Navy during the Korean Conflict and then obtained a bachelors degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Northrop Institute of Technology in Englewood, California.  After working as an engineer for over 30 years, in his retirement Dick became an accomplished wood carver, carving hundreds of pieces that his family and friends will cherish forever.  He was a member of the New England Wood Carvers club.  Dick especially enjoyed spending time with his family and beloved grandchildren.
Funeral service will be held Monday, July 9th at 11 A.M. at Anderson-Bryant Funeral Home, 4 Common St., Stoneham, followed by burial with military honors in Fairview Cemetery, Scituate at 12:30.  Visitation at the funeral home, Sunday, 4-7 P.M. Please consider donations in his memory to The Kaplan Family Hospice House, 78 Liberty Street, Danvers, MA.  01923 or New England Woodcarvers, Inc., PO Box 538, New Boston, NH 03070