William D. Whipple, 79, of Westport died Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at Home and Hospice Care of RI. He was the husband of Helen M. (Phillips) Whipple, they were married for over 50 years.
Born in Danvers, MA, son of the late Guy M. and Helen (Davis) Whipple, he had lived in Westport for most of his life. Mr. Whipple was a graduate of Princeton University, Class of 1953, where he also served as pastor of a Methodist Church for two years. He continued graduate study at Boston University, where he served as teaching assistant for the renowned Dr. Howard Thurman, and met his future wife. An avid sailor, he started a charter yacht service in the Caribbean. His maritime career continued with the formation of Prelude Corp. in Westport and High Seas Corp. in Fall River, which pioneered the offshore commercial trap-fishing industry. A tireless optimist, he dedicated his golden years to developing a new fishery in South Florida.
Along with his wife, survivors include 2 sons: Bradford C. Whipple of Westport and Eric B. Whipple of Westport; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial service to which relatives and friends are invited will be Friday, November 11, 2011 at the Westport Point United Methodist Church at 10:00 A.M.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fall River, P.O. Box 1604, Fall River, MA 02722 or Home and Hospice Care of RI, 1085 N. Main St., Providence, RI 02904.