CHARLES EDWIN WHITNEY
CORNISH – Charles Edwin Whitney, 101, of the High Road passed away on November 6, 2024 at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough, Maine. He was born on March 9, 1923, on the High Road in Cornish, a son of Walter and Ina (Pugsley) Whitney, along with a twin brother Clifton. He attended local schools and was a 1941 graduate of Cornish High School.
Charles grew up extremely poor and lived with his mother, two brothers and a great uncle on the High Road until the age of thirteen, at which time his mother passed away. He was able to stay there for a short time until the home was taken for taxes. Then he and his twin brother were homeless and his older brother went to work in Mass to earn money and he sent some home to help out. During the ages of 14 and 15, he lived in six different homes until at the age of fifteen to graduation, a retired school teacher, Margie Marr, took him in. He helped her and took care of her until she passed. She was so grateful, she left her house to him, his families first home.
As a teenager, he was a member of the Truthseekers, under the guidance of Clarence Lord. Charles was also a member of the Cornish Federated Church for 84 years, now the Cornish United Church of Christ. After graduation, he went to Hyde Park to work at B.F. Sturtevent. He went to University of Maine-Orono for one semester and from there, went to NYA Aviation Unit in Houlton, Maine. After finishing the course “Uncle Sam” called.
In 1943 he went into the Airforce and after basic training, went to the 50th ADA Repair Squadron, South Kelly Field, Texas. From there he went to the National School of Aeronautics, Kansas City, Kansas; Aircraft Engine School, Paterson, NJ; Engine Super Charge School, Lynn, MA, then on to Electrical in Kelly Field. After schooling, he was shipped to Kadina, Okinawa, Japan Airforce Base where he became crew chief on B-17 Rada airplanes. He was discharged in 1946 with the rank of Staff Sergeant. He then came home and went to work for New England Telephone Company and was laid off in just 11 months.
He married Jacquelin F. Swasey on July 3, 1948 and together they raised five children, all of whom he was very proud. He was then hired by Maine Dress Company and became the manager for 24 years. In doing so, he became an excellent seamstress. After leaving the company, he started his own excavation company “High Road Construction” with his son David. He plowed snow and sold firewood for a time also.
Charles hobbies were many and he could make and fix just about anything. Some of the things he loved doing were metal working and woodworking. He made many heirloom rocking horses of which his children and grandchildren have, bird houses, bird feeders, garden way carts, wood stoves (of which some people in the area are still using), homemade trailers and much more. He loved to live on nature as much as he could by raising a garden, his own beef and hunt for wild greens and mushrooms. He loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and was seldom seen idle. He truly enjoyed the old music and to go dancing whenever he could. This is something he passed on to all of his children. When he reached his 80’s, he began to go to Florida for the winter months. This continued until the age of 94.
In his older years, Charles was seen driving around in his 2004 Volkswagen Beetle Bug, making friends just by going to the stores. Sometimes he would sit in the parking lot until someone came by to say hi. Many people stopped just to talk about his beetle bug and he would make a new friend. Employees at Call’s and Village Variety became good friends of his and they helped in many ways.
Charles had some health problems at 99 and had to go to the Maine Veterans Home. A huge thank you to the wonderful staff who took such good care of him. They treated him as if he were their grandfather. He would keep a box of special chocolates to hand out to them for your kindness. He never wanted to leave Cornish. He was born, raised and raised his family there. He was very proud to be a Cornish man. In June of 2018, Charles received the Boston Cane for Cornish, the oldest person of the town, and held it for six years. He will be greatly missed by all who loved him.
Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his older brother Elroy, his twin brother Clifton and a son-in-law George Stacey.
He is survived by his twin daughters Julianne and husband Keith Warren, Dianne and husband Myron Bridges, son David Whitney, a very special daughter-in-law Kimberly Hodson, daughters Marylou Stacey and Wendy and husband Andrew McGary. Grandchildren, Jacquelin Dubois, Jandrea True, Jodianne Lajoie, Jesse Warren, Joshua Warren, Justin Warren, Jay Warren, Heather Barnes, Brandy Stanley, Kristopher Bridges, two step-grandchildren Candy Bridges and Jodi Bridges, Kayli Whitney-Foster, Blais Whitney, Jesse Stacey, Andrew Stacey, Whitney Gammon, Nicholas Watson and Nathan Watson. Also 25 great-grandchildren another on the way, three step great-grandchildren, one step great-great-grandchild and very special nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be announced at a later date.
Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Cornish
Arrangements have been entrusted to Poitras Funeral Homes, www.mainefuneral.com
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