Obituary for Darell Whitaker
On Tuesday, September 7, 2021, Darell Whitaker, loving husband, father, and "Gramps", passed away suddenly at the age of 67.
Darell was born on June 15, 1954 in Saugerties, NY to Orville and Arlene Whitaker. He graduated in 1972 from Saugerties High School and went on to graduate from Ulster County Community College and SUNY New Paltz. Darell started working at the age of 19 at IBM in Kingston, NY and continued his career as an Engineer at locations in New York, Florida, and Vermont. After retiring, he enjoyed working as a substitute teacher at the Center for Technology, Essex.
Darell enjoyed life to the fullest with his family and friends and had many passions that he pursued while living in his beloved community of Essex, VT. He travelled the globe with his co-pilot and wife, Linda, of 42 years. These travels led them around the country in their RV, sailing around Alaskan, Caribbean, and Mediterranean Seas by cruise ship, and enjoying staycations in their second home in Myrtle Beach, SC. Darell deeply loved spending time with his four grandchildren who affectionately called him Gramps. He was an active presence in their everyday lives, creating long-lasting memories to be cherished by them forever.
Darell loved sailing with friends on Lake Champlain, biking Vermont roadways with The Silver Spokes bike club, hiking and skiing in the forests, and brewing beer with The Green Mountain Mashers. He was an avid NASCAR fan and traveled to various tracks including a long tradition annual trip to Pocono Raceway. He spent his life as a devoted New York Yankees fan and enjoyed visiting Yankee Stadium with his friends and family whenever possible.
Darell is survived by his wife, Linda, his daughter and son-in-law, Kristen and Chuck Vella, his son and daughter-in-law, Austin and Amanda Whitaker, and four grandchildren, William, Kate, Alexis, and Alyza. He also leaves behind his two sisters, Adrienne Madden and Joanne Bruno, and brother, Allan Whitaker, and many nieces and nephews.
Family and friends are invited to calling hours on Sunday, September 12th, from 2:00PM to 5:00PM at the A W Rich Funeral Home in Essex Junction, VT. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the ECHO Center in Burlington, VT for the conservation and health of Lake Champlain or to a scholarship fund for students in the Natural Resource program at the Center for Technology, Essex. Donation links can be found below.
https://donorbox.org/donations-to-essex-cte-natural-resources-program-in-honor-of-darell-whitaker
https://donorbox.org/donation-to-echo-center-in-honor-of-darell-whitaker
Darell was born on June 15, 1954 in Saugerties, NY to Orville and Arlene Whitaker. He graduated in 1972 from Saugerties High School and went on to graduate from Ulster County Community College and SUNY New Paltz. Darell started working at the age of 19 at IBM in Kingston, NY and continued his career as an Engineer at locations in New York, Florida, and Vermont. After retiring, he enjoyed working as a substitute teacher at the Center for Technology, Essex.
Darell enjoyed life to the fullest with his family and friends and had many passions that he pursued while living in his beloved community of Essex, VT. He travelled the globe with his co-pilot and wife, Linda, of 42 years. These travels led them around the country in their RV, sailing around Alaskan, Caribbean, and Mediterranean Seas by cruise ship, and enjoying staycations in their second home in Myrtle Beach, SC. Darell deeply loved spending time with his four grandchildren who affectionately called him Gramps. He was an active presence in their everyday lives, creating long-lasting memories to be cherished by them forever.
Darell loved sailing with friends on Lake Champlain, biking Vermont roadways with The Silver Spokes bike club, hiking and skiing in the forests, and brewing beer with The Green Mountain Mashers. He was an avid NASCAR fan and traveled to various tracks including a long tradition annual trip to Pocono Raceway. He spent his life as a devoted New York Yankees fan and enjoyed visiting Yankee Stadium with his friends and family whenever possible.
Darell is survived by his wife, Linda, his daughter and son-in-law, Kristen and Chuck Vella, his son and daughter-in-law, Austin and Amanda Whitaker, and four grandchildren, William, Kate, Alexis, and Alyza. He also leaves behind his two sisters, Adrienne Madden and Joanne Bruno, and brother, Allan Whitaker, and many nieces and nephews.
Family and friends are invited to calling hours on Sunday, September 12th, from 2:00PM to 5:00PM at the A W Rich Funeral Home in Essex Junction, VT. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the ECHO Center in Burlington, VT for the conservation and health of Lake Champlain or to a scholarship fund for students in the Natural Resource program at the Center for Technology, Essex. Donation links can be found below.
https://donorbox.org/donations-to-essex-cte-natural-resources-program-in-honor-of-darell-whitaker
https://donorbox.org/donation-to-echo-center-in-honor-of-darell-whitaker