Yenwith Whitney Obituary

Whitney, Yenwith
Dec. 22, 1924 - April 12, 2011

Dr. Yenwith Whitney of Sarasota, Fla. died April 12, 2011 after a long illness. He was 86.
Dr. Whitney led a long and fruitful life of service in a variety of venues. In 1943 "Yen" enlisted in the Army Air Corps and became a member of the 301st fighter squadron. He served as a fighter pilot in Europe during WWII as a member of the elite Tuskegee Airmen. After the war he graduated from MIT on the GI Bill and worked for a time in aeronautical engineering. He met and married Muriel Johnson in 1951 and had two daughters. As members of NYC's Church of the Master he and Muriel joined the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church and began a life of service to the Church. He served in Cameroun, West Africa as a teacher of math and physics for ten years. Upon returning to the USA, Yen became a lay church executive for the Presbyterian Church. While serving as Associate for Educational Services he earned a Doctorate in Education from Columbia University. He briefly served as principal of Boggs Academy in Keysville, Ga. While there Muriel died in 1978. A year and a half later he married Lorenza (Lori) Washington. Yen continued his church service as Liaison with Africa and later as Associate for Southern Africa. He and Lori moved to Louisville, Ky. in 1988 where the headquarters of the United Presbyterian Church in the USA had relocated. He retired in 1992 and they moved to Sarasota, Fla. in 1998.
While in Sarasota Yen became deeply involved in church work at the First Presbyterian Church of Sarasota, serving as an elder. He was a member of the Boule. He worked with MIT and its alumni association in their recruitment efforts. He also worked with the Tuskegee Airmen Association, giving talks to many groups about his wartime experiences. His wife Lorenza died in 2008. He is survived by his daughters Dr. Saundra Curry and Karen Whitney, step-son Earl Tucker, son-in-law Donald Curry and grandson Peter Curry, a sister, Ada Robinson, and many nieces and nephews.
Yenwith Whitney is in repose at the Toale Brothers Funeral Home, 40 North Orange, Sarasota, with wakes scheduled for Sunday, April 17 from 2-4 and 6-8 pm. The funeral will take place on Monday, April 18, 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Sarasota, 2050 Oak Street.

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Published by Herald Tribune from Apr. 16 to Apr. 17, 2011.

Memories and Condolences
for Yenwith Whitney

7 Entries

SEAN HIGGINS

May 10, 2011

Dr. Whitney was my friend and mentor. I lost my father at age thirteen and my mother decided to send me to Boggs Academy. Dr. Whitney took me under his wing, we shared an interest in tennis and photography and help me to become the man that I am today. I later found out that Dr. Whitney was a Tuskegee Airman after I enter the US Air Force. I asked over the years of our friendship why he never mention his service? Dr. Whitney answer was that he did not wish to receive the accolades but rather he wished that all could learn from his service to country and the life experiences and his commitment to excellence in all aspects. He was untiring in his service to his fellow man. If you are familiar with Abu Ben Adam Dr. Whitney was truly a man for whom all people of all faiths and beliefs could learn something from. I would like to quote “ Abu Ben Adam , May his tribe increase, Awoke one night from a deep sleep. And saw within his room, making it rich like a lily in bloom, Saw an angel writing in a book of gold. “What writest thou?” He said. The angel raised his head And said with a look made of sweet accord,, “The names of those who love the lord”. “ And is mine one?” said Abu. “ Nay, not so” replied the angel then. Abu spoke more lowly, but cheerily still and said, “ I pray thee then, write me as one who loves his fellow men”. The angel wrote and vanished. The next night it came again with a great awakening light and showed the names of those whom love of god had blessed an lo, Ben Adam’s name led all the rest. This was my friend and Mentor who loved life and committed his life to the service of his fellow man and long the way conquered racism, loved his country, defended it even when it did not love him back. I salute him as the former President Bush stated in his award of the Congressional Gold Medal of Freedom “And I would like to offer a gesture to help atone for all the unreturned salutes and unforgivable indignities. And so on behalf of the office I hold and a country that honors you I salute you for the service to the United States of America.”

Rest In Peace my old Friend for a job well done in defense of a grateful nation.

Sean C. Higgins

Boggs Academy Alumni
US Air Force Veteran

Jean Jolkovski

April 24, 2011

Bobbi and I were married, here in Arizona, by a good friend and Methodist minister, John Oneal, also a fellow amateur radio operator.

John is about fourth generation native Arizonan.

I put the Yenwith story on the radio last week. Radio folk call a passing a "silent key." John heard me. We spoke on the radio and John informed me that his Dad flew a B24, one that was protected by the Tuskegee Red Tails. His Dad had told him that they would not take off until they could see the Red Tail Tuskegee fliers lined up and ready to provide that vital escort.

I could not have invented such a tale. A salute to Yen, even in Arizona.

David Jolkovski

April 24, 2011

My parents, my two brothers and I were neighbors of Yenwith’s family on Albany Crescent in the Bronx in the 1930s. In 1938, when I was five, my father died, my family scattered and I lost track of the Whitneys.

Ten or fifteen years ago a former commandant of the Tuskegee Airmen was a guest on a radio talk show here in Rochester, New York—it might have been that he had a book on the Airmen published. I called in, hoping to locate Yenwith. I remember the man’s reaction quite well when I asked if he remembered a Yenwith Whitney. He burst out, “Yenwith K. Whitney! He was the biggest hotdogger in the outfit! His plane had whitewall tires on the landing gear. He routinely made a slow roll while he was taking off!” That last is pretty dangerous.

I didn’t get a clue as to Yenwith’s whereabouts, but that did reinforce my memory of him. Years later, one of my daughters, who lives in Sarasota, Florida, and worked at the Bradenton (nearby town) Herald, phoned me to ask if I knew a Yenwith Whitney. It seems that she was editing a piece that mentioned his name, and she vaguely remembered the distinctive name. The next time my wife and I visited Florida, we had a celebratory reunion with Yenwith, met Lori, and picked up a few old threads. We got together for dinner one more time after that. I wanted to keep in touch, but I felt that I was taking time away from important work that both of them were doing.

Yenwith is the hero of my little-kidhood. He knew about everything, he could do anything—make a scooter out of a bent roller skate and an orange crate, make a pair of stilts out of junk wood and use them daringly, make a photo darkroom out of found materials—he didn’t seem to be afraid of anything or anyone, and he was the only big kid who had time for the little kid I was. He was about eight years my senior. He was like a comet or meteor that flashed by, close enough to make my shirt flap and raise the hair on the back of my neck. I feel very lucky to have known him.

John Dockum

April 22, 2011

I feel privileged to have known Yen, to have heard Yen speak of his experiences and to have enjoyed his company as a fellow MIT alumnus. My condolences go out to his family for their (and our) loss.

Ed Klein

April 18, 2011

Dear Dr. Curry and Miss Whitney, I was so lucky this morning to hear on the news of your father's funeral, so I came, mainly to honor him, a great man who served his country well in many areas of the world and in various activities. I asked him to speak at Florida Youth Academy in early 2004, and he accepted most graciously. FYA was a girls' jail in Pinellas County where I was teaching. He was a big hit, and the girls and many staff wanted to have their pictures taken with him. The service and reception today were so wonderful, and it was good to speak with you, Dr. Curry, and give you a few photos of your dad's day at FYA. God's blessings on you and your families. Ed Klein, an old Civil Rights guy, so proud to have a "Red-tail" model given to me by your father, who will always be greatly admired by me. Clearwater, FL 4-18-2011

April 18, 2011

Yenwith was a wonderful and richly accomplished man. I was fortunate to have known him and played baseball with him in his yard in the Bronx.
Robin Jolkovski

Col (R) Nathan Thomas

April 18, 2011

The time I met him he showed himself to be an outstanding gentlemen and an outstanding Tuskegee Airman and truly we need more like him. He will be missed.

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