William E. Whitney
Quilcene, Washington
April 24, 1922 – Jan. 10, 2015
William E. Whitney was born April 24, 1922 at Concrete, Washington. He moved to Camas-Washougal with his parents in 1928 where he attended elementary and high school. He attended Whitman College and the University of Portland prior to World War II. During WWII he trained and served as a B26 pilot in the Army Air Corps. He was shot down over France and taken prisoner by the Luftwaffe and was interned for the remainder of the war except for a brief escape period.
After the war he returned to the University of Washington where he received a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering in 1948. After graduate studies, he joined Standard Oil of California (which later became Chevron Oil) and began a 37 year career in Petroleum Engineering and oil field operations. He married Lucile R. Kirwan of Taft, California in 1950.
His career work assignments have taken him to 20 different countries. He and his family lived nine years in Alaska and nearly 15 years in the Middle East. At the time of his retirement in 1984, he was on loan from Chevron to the Arabian American Oil Company as General Manager of Drilling and Workover Operations. Upon retirement, he and his wife moved to their vacation home of many years on the Toandos Peninsula, near Quilcene, Washington. His father, a well-know horticulturist hybridizer of rhododendrons, founded Whitney Gardens in Brinnon. His grandfather was an early pioneer to Seabeck, Washington in the late 1800s.
Mr. Whitney was a Senior and life member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. He was a life member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, the B.O.E.P.E, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American EXPOW’S and The American Legion. He served in a number of community service positions including the Jefferson County Washington Planning Commission.
Mr. Whitney was an active boater with a strong cruising background. He began boating on the Columbia River as a youngster and had his first vessel at age 12. He participated in several long range ocean cruises and had sailing experience in the north, mid and South Pacific Ocean, the Arabian Gulf, the Mediterranean and North Atlantic. In recent years, he specialized in cruising the Northwestern U.S. coast from Washington to Southeast Alaska.
He was an active member of the Port Ludlow Yacht Club, the Seattle Yacht Club and the Cruising Club of America. He was Past Commodore of the Port Ludlow Yacht Club and received their highest award, the Excalibur Award in 1999 for outstanding service to the community and yacht club. He was an active member of the Cruising Club of America for the past 25 years, serving as the leader of the Pacific Northwest Station and later as the Commodore of the entire club.
Mr. Whitney was a well-known amateur radio operator with the call WO7O. He founded the popular “Northwest Boaters Net” which has approximately 65 regular check-ins of boaters and those interested in marine activities. He was also quite active in computer and internet activities and developed an extensive personal website which can be browsed at www.toandos.com including his shot-down story and patriotic page.
Mr. Whitney was preceded in death by his former wife Lucile R. Whitney. He remarried to Barbara Ricketts anticipating many years of quality life. His immediate surviving family includes: son David W. Whitney of Bakersfield, California, son John R. Whitney of Walnut Creek, California, his daughter Mary Ann Whitney-Hall of West Linn, Oregon, and their families including four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
The family suggests memorial contributions be sent to the American Brain Tumor Association to help fund research and provide support programs. Information at
abta.org/donate. An alternative that Mr. Whitney supported is the Bonnell Cove Foundation, which conducts research and educational activities to promote safety as sea and environmental protection. Information at
cruisingclub.org/about/about_bonnell.
A private funeral is planned.
