On Sunday, May 2, James Stanley Whalen passed away at the age of 58 after battling a long illness. He was the youngest of four children of John Gilson Whalen and Janice Morse Whalen. Jamie leaves behind his son, James Henry Wojnar of East Sandwich, his mother, Janice Morse Whalen of Framingham, sisters, Sally Whalen Harrison of Silver Lake, NH and Betsy Whalen Harris of Holliston, his brother Shawn Whalen of Natick, brother-in-law Bill Harris, sister-in-law, Mona Bisson and many nieces and nephews.
Jamie grew up in Lawrence, New Jersey and in 1972, he and his family moved back to Wellesley, MA where his family roots were. He lived in the MetroWest area for his entire life. He graduated from Wellesley High School and found work readily in many different industries.
Jamie’s middle name, Stanley, was a name-sake of his grandfather Charles Stanley Morse, and liken to “Morsey’s exuberance for driving with speed, Jamie was a natural athlete and a fearless flyer – modifying jumps to get maximum height and gracefully landing bicycles, and snow skis. This eventually led to racing motocross motorcycles.
When Jamie wasn’t showing off his airborne antics, he could be found amongst friends and family joking around. He had a knack for telling funny stories and doing impersonations. He would be at the heart of the entertainment at many family occasions. His impersonation of Grandma Whalen from Maine was legendary. Jamie was also a skilled Harp player and singer in the band “The Rockhoppers”, playing many gigs at clubs in the Boston area.
Jamie was an outdoorsman who loved camping, hiking, and fishing and spent many summers in DownEast Maine, between an old family home in Steuben, camping in Millbridge, and hiking and biking the mountains of Acadia National Park. In the years while Jamie was healthy, he shared his love of these pursuits with his son, James Henry, where he and his Dad would spend countless hours in nature together. Above all, Jamie loved being a dad and was devoted to sharing his love for the outdoors with James.
Jamie is predeceased by his father, John G Whalen. A private family ceremony will take place at a future date.
Donations may be made to the Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA). https://hdsa.org/get-involved/donation-opportunities/