Obituary of Frank Whipple

Frank E. Whipple Frank E. Whipple, age 87, of Erie, passed away Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 at the Cleveland Clinic. He was born in Erie, January 31, 1924, a son of the late Frank E. and Louise M. Bengle Whipple. Frank graduated from Academy High School in 1941. He enlisted in the US Army Air Forces (Army Air Corp) and served with Sq B 592 AAF in Africa during WWII and received the Good Conduct Medal, American Theater Ribbon, European-African-Middle Eastern Ribbon, and WWII Victory Medal. He was the co-founder of Whipple-Allen Construction Co. in 1959. He was a member of the Erie Maennerchor Club. Frank was best known as Stub or Stubbie; his nickname by his family and many of his dear friends. He enjoyed working in the garden, being with his children and grandchildren, loved traveling to Ogunquit, Maine every year with his wife, daughter, and granddaughter, and lobstering their way up the coast. His favorite way to spend a day of leisure was to take a drive in the country on a Sunday afternoon and enjoy the scenery. Stub also loved getting together and having a good meal with old friends. Like his dad, he was good natured, always willing to help someone, and he wasn't afraid to roll up his sleeves and pitch in. Over the years, he enjoyed watching hockey games and was an avid supporter of the former Erie Lions Hockey Team. He loved helping his son-in-law, Richard, in the yard in Arizona, shared great conversations from motorcycles to politics and thoroughly enjoyed the antics of their corgis, Harley & Clancy. Even after all these years (supposedly retiring from the construction business), he never hesitated to jump in and help his son to do a take-off of a job. The construction business was his life…starting as a trade carpenter…now, he meets the greatest carpenter of all. Frank was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Louise, his sisters; Norma Jean and Carol, and his brothers, Leonard and William. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Doris J. (Fuhrman) Whipple, his daughter, Christine and her husband, Richard Montgomery, of Sierra Vista, AZ; his son, Timothy, and wife, Mary (Ebisch) Whipple, and his three grandchildren; Stephanie, Timothy, and Steven Whipple, all of Erie. Stub is also survived by his sister, Mary (Sally) Skelton of Edinboro, PA, as well as his brother, Robert Whipple, of Detroit, MI. Friends may call at the Dusckas-Martin Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 4216 Sterrettania Rd. on Monday from 4:00 until 9:00 p.m. and are invited there on Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. conducted by the Rev. Al Detter. Interment with full military honors will be held at Laurel Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital-Tribute Program, Acct. #64817648, PO Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142 or to Westminster Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, 3642 W. 26th St., Erie, PA 16506. Enhance your memorial with a slideshow and video