Whisler, Doug of Greenlawn, NY and formerly of Nantucket, MA died suddenly on June 5th, 2019. Doug will always be remembered by those who loved him for his courage during some extremely difficult times. Our family is heartbroken. Doug was a beloved father, grandfather, and friend. Born April 10, 1954, he was the oldest of two children born to Adelaide Griffin and Stephen MacIsaac.
Doug’s career resembled that of a renaissance man: he taught high school Spanish and coached hockey at Tabor Academy in Marion, MA, taught sailing at Nantucket Yacht Club, was owner and head captain for the Nantucket Harbor Launch, and shingled houses on Nantucket for his company “Straight Course Shingling.” On the side, he helped deliver yachts from Nantucket to Florida for the winter. Later in life, Doug sold fences on Long Island, worked for NPD Group in consumer market research, and most recently worked for Carson Optical in Ronkonkoma, NY. He used to tell his kids that he was a cowboy in Arizona in his youth. His love for his children was unmistakable, and everything that Doug did was to support them. His family is extremely grateful to all who gave him an opportunity to earn a living.
Doug was most happy when he was with his children, and especially enjoyed skiing, boating, and fishing.
Doug was preceded in death by his birth parents Adelaide Griffin and Stephen MacIsaac, his adoptive father Alfred Whisler, his brother Clinton Whisler, and his beloved wife Marcia Whisler. Doug is survived by his son Timothy Whisler and Tim’s wife Meaghan of Hingham, MA, his son Jeffrey Whisler of Aspen, CO, his daughters Adelaide Whisler and Molly Whisler of Greenlawn, NY, his granddaughter Madeline Whisler of Hingham, MA, and numerous nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends. His grandson is due to be born on June 24th, 2019.
In lieu of flowers our family asks that you be kind to one another, reach out to anybody who may be struggling, seek help if you need it, and speak openly about mental health to help reduce the stigma associated with it. We ask that you consider making a donation in Doug’s name to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention https://afsp.org/
Visiting hours will be held at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 1305 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA on Friday, June 14th from 3-7pm. A memorial service will be held in the funeral home on Saturday, June 15th at 11am. A reception will follow the memorial service. Friends and family are invited to attend.