Emma Elizabeth Whittaker, 15, of Rochester passed away Wednesday February 16, 2022. She is survived by her parents, Phillip and Jessica, her brother Liam (her most favorite person), aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. In addition to her family, she is survived by the most amazing friend-family a person could dream of having.
Emma was a sophomore at Old Rochester Regional High School and a member of the swimming and sailing teams. She also swam for the New Bedford YMCA Hurricanes and Cape Cod Swim Club. Emma loved raising money for and swimming the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s Buzzards Bay Swim.
Emma loved swimming, sailing, and all things water related. She loved reading and writing poetry. Emma loved music, playing her guitar, and dance parties in the kitchen. She binge-watched TV shows like West Wing, CSI, Criminal Minds, Bones, and House. She never met a dog or cat she did not love.
Emma was sassy, strong, silly, and smart (even if she never quite understood sarcasm). Outside of her family, Emma’s greatest love was her friends. Her smile and laughter were contagious and her hugs were epic. She always put caring for those she loved before caring for herself.
Our family would like to thank Dr. Julie Monteagudo and Dr. Robin McKinney and the rest of the amazing team at Hasbro Children’s Hospital’s PICU. The love and care for Emma and our family was truly beyond anything we could have imagined.
A celebration of Emma's life will be held on April 9, 2022 at 11 AM at Wickenden Chapel, Tabor Academy, Marion, MA. The Emma Whittaker Fund has been established at the Southcoast Community Foundation to honor her life and continue to support the causes most important to Emma. Donations may be made at https://southcoastcf.org/. Arrangements are by the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Road, Mattapoisett. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.