James Arthur Whittemore

James Arthur Whittemore, 90, of Wells, ME, passed away peacefully July 1, 2025. He was born June 14, 1935 in Derry, NH to Charles J. and Blanche L. (Converse) Whittemore.

James graduated from Concord High School in 1953 and then joined the US Navy right out of school. In 1961, he married his wife, Nancy (Tonkin) Whittemore and lived in Franklin, MA while raising their two daughters. Jim worked for IBM as a field engineer specialist for 32 years before retiring. Jim and Nancy bought their dream summer home on Drakes Island in 1983, they spent every possible weekend, vacation and holiday there with family and friends. Following his retirement, he and Nancy were able to spend winters in Bradenton, FL and summers in Wells, ME for 25 years before permanently settling in Wells.

Jim was kind, friendly and generous and led a very active life. He would walk the beach and the island daily in his younger years stopping to chat with neighbors and tourist along the way. He would ride his bike to the beach to ride the waves or fly a kite. He was an avid gardener and enjoyed tending his flowerbeds and maintaining his beautiful yard. He was especially proud of his many varieties of iris that he had been cultivating for over 60 years. Each splitting season he passed along flowers and plants to family and friends, complete with a lesson on how to plant and care for them. He was a talented handyman and skilled woodworker; always willing to lend a hand to family and friends. He started young, wallpapering and painting with his grandfather, and doing plumbing and electrical work with his father. In retirement, he was very involved in the computer club at his retirement community teaching others how to use new technology and fix issues, as well as a member of a golf and bowling league. He was a member of the Manatee Masonic Lodge #31. He was a wonderful man and will be missed by all who knew him.

Jim was preceded in death by Nancy, his wife of 62 years, parents, and sister Judy Elliott. He is survived by: daughters, Susan Whittemore of Wells and Diane and son-in-law Woody Ackerman of Wells; grandsons, James Ackerman and Alexander Ackerman; as well as the children of his heart Michele Masi of Franklin, MA, Kim Palmer of North Attleboro,MA, Rick Slavin of Chicago, IL.

The family would like to send a special thank you to his devoted caregivers, Sandy and Debbie, at Home Instead and our dear friend Ann Soucie for their love and support.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim's name to American Heart Association at www.heart.org.

Private family services will be held at a later date.