1927
Colleen
2014
Colleen (Stoddard) Whaley
January 16, 1927 — September 27, 2014
Colleen Stoddard Whaley, 87, of Newport, passed away on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014, at her home.
The family will conduct a memorial service at 2:00 p.m. on Friday at Sound View Original Free Will Baptist Church in Newport, Reverend Robert Langley will officiate.
Colleen was born in St. Louis, MO but moved to North Carolina after a whirlwind romance and marriage to Harold Whaley in 1945. Harold met Colleen on a Monday, took her on a date on Thursday, and, recognizing a treasure when he saw one, married her the following Saturday. This weeklong courtship blossomed into a marriage lasting 63 years, until Harold’s passing in 2009. They built their home and raised their family on what was then a desolate patch of farmland and uncultivated forest off Hwy 24. Nothing was more important to Harold and Colleen than family. They purchased plots of land surrounding their home for each of their five children in order to keep them close. As each of the children grew up and had children of their own, a community of siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles grew. This multigenerational homestead is shown on maps today as “Whaley Lane”. Colleen Whaley was the heart and soul of this big, boisterous, sprawling family. She was the nucleus around which the rest of the family turned. Colleen was a devout, spiritual woman who still knew how to have fun. She had an impish sense of humor and loved to tease. She was selfless to a fault, giving until she had nothing left to give. Colleen never met a stranger and took in family friends and other “strays” as if they were her own. She was a kind, considerate and loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who will be greatly missed.
Colleen’s legacy can be found in every small act of kindness by her descendants, which multiply as they radiate outward and down through the generations. Each time a family member finds a bit of beauty in the world and shares it, her impact and contribution to the world is reaffirmed. With every expression of love, the family honors her life, which was a model of generosity, compassion and grace. Put simply, the world is a better place for having had her in it.
She is survived by her daughters, Tammy Greene, of Newport and Roxie Vesper and husband, David, of Newport; and son, Jacob (Greg) Gregory Whaley and wife, Barbara, of Atlantic Beach; sister Cynthia Proia, brother Bill Stoddard and wife Karen, ten grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
In addition to her late husband, Harold Lloyd Whaley, Mrs. Whaley was preceded in death by her son, Gary John Whaley, a daughter, Deborah Whaley Allen, and a brother, Tom Stoddard.
The family will receive friends at a reception immediately following the service in the church reception hall. The graveside committal service will be private.
The family will conduct a memorial service at 2:00 p.m. on Friday at Sound View Original Free Will Baptist Church in Newport, Reverend Robert Langley will officiate.
Colleen was born in St. Louis, MO but moved to North Carolina after a whirlwind romance and marriage to Harold Whaley in 1945. Harold met Colleen on a Monday, took her on a date on Thursday, and, recognizing a treasure when he saw one, married her the following Saturday. This weeklong courtship blossomed into a marriage lasting 63 years, until Harold’s passing in 2009. They built their home and raised their family on what was then a desolate patch of farmland and uncultivated forest off Hwy 24. Nothing was more important to Harold and Colleen than family. They purchased plots of land surrounding their home for each of their five children in order to keep them close. As each of the children grew up and had children of their own, a community of siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles grew. This multigenerational homestead is shown on maps today as “Whaley Lane”. Colleen Whaley was the heart and soul of this big, boisterous, sprawling family. She was the nucleus around which the rest of the family turned. Colleen was a devout, spiritual woman who still knew how to have fun. She had an impish sense of humor and loved to tease. She was selfless to a fault, giving until she had nothing left to give. Colleen never met a stranger and took in family friends and other “strays” as if they were her own. She was a kind, considerate and loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who will be greatly missed.
Colleen’s legacy can be found in every small act of kindness by her descendants, which multiply as they radiate outward and down through the generations. Each time a family member finds a bit of beauty in the world and shares it, her impact and contribution to the world is reaffirmed. With every expression of love, the family honors her life, which was a model of generosity, compassion and grace. Put simply, the world is a better place for having had her in it.
She is survived by her daughters, Tammy Greene, of Newport and Roxie Vesper and husband, David, of Newport; and son, Jacob (Greg) Gregory Whaley and wife, Barbara, of Atlantic Beach; sister Cynthia Proia, brother Bill Stoddard and wife Karen, ten grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
In addition to her late husband, Harold Lloyd Whaley, Mrs. Whaley was preceded in death by her son, Gary John Whaley, a daughter, Deborah Whaley Allen, and a brother, Tom Stoddard.
The family will receive friends at a reception immediately following the service in the church reception hall. The graveside committal service will be private.
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