Thelma M. Whalen, 87, passed away at The Village at Waterman Lake on November 9, 2012 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Born in Providence, Thelma was the daughter of the late George and Cora May (Webster) Mullins and the beloved wife of the late Frank Whalen who died in 1973. She had lived on Bungy Road in North Scituate for more than 50 years.
Thelma was a proud graduate of Classical High and a 2004 inductee into its Athletic Hall of Fame. She earned her R.N. at R.I. Hospital School of Nursing in the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps. After her husband became paralyzed in 1955, she supported her family by working in the premature nursery at the former Lying-In Hospital. She went on to earn a B.S. in School Nurse Teacher Education at Rhode Island College and a M.Ed. at Providence College. As a school nurse in Providence, she thrived on thinking of creative ways to help her students, learning Portuguese to better communicate with parents, purchasing and soliciting donations of clothing and supplies and making home visits. She once took a mattress from her own house, drove it to Providence strapped to the roof of her car then carried it up 3 flights of stairs for a student who had been sleeping on the floor. She was always willing to share her nursing skills and/or prepare meals to help friends, relatives and neighbors. She volunteered for the American Lung Association and the Red Cross.
Thelma loved gardening, ice skating, swimming, playing with her cats and watching the wildlife in her yard. She made beautifully-decorated and delicious cakes and pies as well as many knitted and crocheted sweaters and afghans.
She is survived by her son, Frank Whalen of Arlington, MA, her daughter, Sheila Durfee and her husband, Peter, of North Scituate, grandson, Thomas Durfee and his wife Kathleen, of Quincy, MA and granddaughters, Caitlin Whalen of La Jolla, CA and Cara Whalen of Lincoln, NB. She is also survived by her sister, Florence Barrett of North Kingstown, cousin, Pauline Mullins of Providence, former daughter-in-law, Susan Whalen of Lunenburg, MA, sister-in-law, Joyce Mullins of Johnston and many other cousins, nieces and nephews. She was the sister of the late George and John Mullins.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 10 am at St. Joseph’s Church, Danielson Pike, North Scituate. Burial will follow at St. John the Evangelist Cemetery in Slatersville. Calling hours will be held on Monday from 4-7 pm at Anderson Winfield Funeral Home, Rt 44 at Greenville Common, Greenville.
If you would like to do something in Thelma’s memory, please consider offering a gesture of kindness to someone who could use a little encouragement, especially anyone living with dementia. She would have been honored to know that she had inspired such generosity of spirit.