Malcolm C. Whatley

1935 - 2016

Malcolm C. Whatley

Age: 81 • Burlington

Malcolm C. Whatley of Burlington died of pancreatic cancer on December 13, 2016, at the Respite House in Colchester, Vermont, at the age of 81. He was born on January 30, 1935, to Anna Schnell Whatley and Peter Daniel Whatley in New Orleans, LA. He received his B. A. in 1956 from Southwestern in Memphis, majoring in mathematics and physics. He earned his M.A. in Mathematics in 1958 and his Ph.D in physics in 1963 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He taught physics at the University of Maryland, 1962-67; at Washington University in St. Louis, 1967-69; and at the University of Vermont, 1978-1995. In 1985-86 he and his wife Janet taught at Deep Springs, a small college on a desert ranch in California, where he delighted in learning everything he could about ranching and horsemanship. His academic research was in elementary particle physics, conducted at the Berkeley Bevatron, the Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the Princeton Proton Accelerator. Malcolm was a man of capacious intellect and vigorous activity. He brought to the details of everyday life the precision of a scientist and the hands-on feel for how things work. He crafted beautifully simple furniture and knives, knew the right knot for any purpose, and was the go-to guy for neighbors in need of a handyman. He was unstintingly generous as a friend, father, uncle, and grandfather. Malcolm's interests ran wide and deep: the sciences, literature, politics, music, wildlife, canoeing, camping. He was indispensable to Janet in her literary work; a translation of an early New World voyage account would not have been feasible without his help, and he was co-author with her of the translation of an 18th-century correspondence, "There Are No Letters Like Yours." In recent years he developed a passion for political theory, researching the ideas of the Founders of the United States and considering the meanings of the Constitution. His influence as a teacher went far beyond the subject matter of physics. Students remember the life lessons imparted through the clarity and elegance of his presentations; the energy of his presence; the warmth of his hospitality as they visited his home over the course of thirty years. His bravery and humor during the months of this intractable illness have been an inspiration and source of courage to all his friends.

Our deepest thanks to the doctors and nurses of the UVM Cancer Center, especially Dr. Maura Barry and nurses Ashley Cohen, Kelly Dulude, and Louisa Pratt, all of whom provided expert and loving care. The Respite House, with its excellent staff, made his last days as peaceful as possible. His many friends in the Burlington community and beyond have offered continual, heartfelt support, and have eased his ordeal.

He is survived by his wife, Janet Saltus Whatley; his daughter, Helen Whatley; his grandchildren Kaiden and Jessica Pope; his former wife, Linda Smith Wilson, mother of Helen; Linda's husband Paul Wilson; Daniel Pope, former husband of Helen and father of Kaiden and Jessica; his nieces, Gail Whatley, Diana Whatley, Colleen Mathews, and Denise Scheu; his nephews Mark and Walter Whatley and their wives Danusia and Barbara; Janet's brother Richard Saltus and his wife Deborah Perugi Saltus. He was predeceased by his parents; his sister Meryl Whatley Scheu; his brother Marvin Whatley; and his sister-in-law Susan Keith Whatley.

He is remembered with love by a large extended family. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (www.pancan.org), to the Caroline Fund (PO Box 8486, Burlington, VT, 05402), or to a charity of your choice. A memorial gathering will be announced for a later time.

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