Macauley Whiting

Macauley Whiting, 92, of Sun Valley, Idaho died peacefully on Sept. 4, 2017 in Meridian, Idaho after a long illness. Mac was born in Detroit on March 4, 1925, the oldest child of Mary (Macauley) and Henry Whiting. He attended Brookside School and graduated from Cranbrook School in Birmingham, Mich. at age 16. He attended Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs for a postgraduate year before matriculating at Yale University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1945 and a master's degree in mechanical engineering in 1948. He was captain of the undefeated 1944 Yale University football team. He served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy in 1945-46. He received honorary doctorate degrees from Northwood University, Michigan Technological University, and South Dakota School of Mines.

He met his wife, Helen, while he was a student at Cranbrook, and they were married on July 6, 1945. Their life together was full of rich experiences, which included the raising of a family of six children. They also had eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. They enjoyed traveling together, visiting 94 countries as well as all 50 states in the United States. They loved architecture and built outstanding homes in Midland and Sun Valley. They donated their Midland home and grounds to the Midland community, where it is now known as Whiting Forest, part of the Dow Gardens.

Mac had a long and successful career at Dow Chemical. He served on the board of directors for 17 years from 1959-76. He held many different positions, including general manager of the Michigan Division, president of Dow International, president of the Oil and Gas Division, and president of the Dowell Division. He served on the board of directors of Decker Energy International, Inc., a renewable energy company, from 1982-2007.

He was extensively involved in civic and charitable activities in Midland and Sun Valley, the two communities where he lived most of his life. He was co-founder of the Macauley and Helen Dow Whiting Foundation in 1957. He was a trustee of Northwood University for over four decades and served as chairman of the board for much of that time. He served on many civic boards in Midland, including the Midland Community Foundation, Junior Achievement, and Rotary Club. In Sun Valley he was a founder of the Wood River Land Trust and on the board of the Wood River Medical Center. He was an excellent athlete, playing football in college and was an avid skier into his 80s.

Mac's beloved wife of 64 four years, Helen Dow Whiting, passed away in 2009. He is survived by his six children, Susan Scholl of Albuquerque, N.M., Martha FioRito of Windsor, Calif., Helen Collette of Ketchum, Idaho, Mary Whiting of Blue Hill, Maine, Henry Whiting II of Bliss, Idaho, and Macauley Whiting, Jr. of Vero Beach, Fla. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, Macauley Whiting III, of Raleigh, N.C., Correll Whiting of Winter Park, Fla., Cameron Collette of Boise, Idaho, Chessye Collette of Boise, Idaho, Castine Dow of Philadelphia, Pa., Noah Dow of Brooklyn, N.Y., Brandon FioRito of Petaluma, Calif., and Meghan FioRito of San Diego, Calif.; and three great-grandchildren, Nevaeh and Orian Cutler of Boise, Idaho, and Macauley Whiting IV of Raleigh, N.C.; as well as brothers, Henry and Peter. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Beverly.

Memorial services for Mac will be held in Midland with a time and date to be announced in the near future, and will be available at www.waresmithwoolever.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Ware-Smith-Woolever Funeral Directors, 1200 W. Wheeler St., Midland.