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Donald Edgar Whalley

Donald Edgar Whalley, 88, a resident of Wilmington, passed away on Monday, Dec. 22, 2014, at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh.

Don was born on April 23, 1926, in Calvin, Ontario, Canada to William Dennis Clark Whalley (W.D.C.) and Carrie Mildred (Hurlbert) Whalley, who are both deceased.

Don is survived by five children: Nancy (Larry) Vincent with grandchildren Bethany Vincent and Amanda (Rob) League, all of New Hampshire; Thomas (Connie) Whalley of North Carolina; Peter (Sudha) Whalley of Pennsylvania; Scott Whalley; and Paul (Trixie) Whalley with (grandchildren) Brandon (girlfriend Payton Barney) Whalley and Andray Whalley, all of New York. He is also survived by two sisters, Doris McLaren of North Bay, Canada and Ruth (Fred) Smith of Niagara Falls, Canada; two brothers, Bill (Simone) Whalley of North Bay, Canada and Keith (Dawn) Whalley, of Mattawa, Canada; and many, many nephews, nieces and their children.

He was predeceased by Barbara Pasho Whalley, his first wife, and Anita Nassivera Wheeler Whalley, his second wife. He was also predeceased by four brothers and five sisters: Ernest Whalley, Lorna Chicquen, Gertrude Graff, Mildred Sullivan, Earl Whalley, Robert Whalley, Garth Whalley, Sheila Wunsch and Hazel Whalley.

Don came to the United States in 1946 at the age of 20. He became a naturalized citizen in 1955 and before that, in 1951, married his first wife, Barbara Pasho. Before Don came to the States, he wanted to join the Canadian Forces but was unable to because he had a couple of older brothers already serving.

As told by Don, he lived with relatives and did odd work for a while in the Tupper Lake and Lake Placid area. He soon became interested in the carpentry industry and worked toward being self-taught in finished carpentry.

Don and Barbara raised five children in the Lake Placid and Wilmington area. While living in Lake Placid, they remodeled the house as they lived in it. They built twice on Springfield Road in Wilmington because the first house was destroyed by fire sometime in the 1970s.

Donald is well known for the many items he has built throughout the years. His work can be seen in many local churches, hotels, restaurants and homes of friends and family. There are still a lot of items that can be seen and bought that are one of a kind. Don used wood burls and combined many types of wood in the making of his items. He has made beds, tables, chairs, bowls, cups, lamps (even one with wild stuffed animals), hope chests, dressers, doors, counters, cabinets, animal cages, stands for tanks, picture frames and a few personal items for the grandchildren.

He kept occupied by doing many projects until a couple of years ago when his health started to interfere with his working safely. He enjoyed church, fellowship with friends, hunting, fishing, gardening, working with wood, seeing nature around him and being in the Adirondacks.

Don would love to tell about his life on the farm: how hard the work was, how they worked together as a family and the lessons he learned, the hardship that the family went through and the work he had done throughout the years.

Don married Anita Wheeler in 1990 and moved to the Jay area until she passed in 2011, and then moved in with his youngest and his family. He lived a full life and now is with his savior in heaven, and with his loved ones who have passed before him.

Don’s smile, strong handshake, jokes and stories will be missed by us all.

Come and share your stories and celebrate his next step in life at the memorial service at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10 at the Independent Baptist Church in Keeseville.