Richard E. "Dick" Whiting

Richard E. 'Dick' Whiting, 79
ST. GEORGE -- Richard E. 'Dick' Whiting, 79, of St. George and Indian River Shores, Fla., died peacefully on Friday evening, April 15, 2011, at Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport surrounded by his loving family.
The son of Arthur Edward Whiting and Sadie Harriet Whiting (nee Jacobs), he was born on July 9, 1931, in Lewiston and raised in the Auburn area.
He is survived by his wife; his children; and 13 grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents; brothers, Adelbert and Raymond Whiting, and sisters, Alice Burdin and Elinor Hill.
He graduated from Edward Little High School in 1949 and Cushing Academy in 1950 where he met his future wife, Elaine Barbara 'Lanny' Bland. Following an extended courtship the couple was married on Aug. 29, 1953. Dick graduated from Colby College in 1954. He and Elaine had six children in all, Christopher (Doylestown, Ohio), Thomas (Rockland), Jennifer (deceased at birth), Susan (Cumberland Center), Lee (Park City, Utah) and Daniel (Cumberland Center).
Dick graduated from Boston University Law School in 1958 and commenced law practice in Rumford, where he practiced general law, and was of counsel to and a lobbyist for paper industry and the Maine Bar Association. He also served as President of Oxford County Bar Association.
A dedicated public servant, he was elected and served as probate judge in Oxford County from 1973 through 1996. During his time on the bench he served as President of the Maine Probate Judges Assembly and served on a revision commission recommending reforms which later were adopted as legislation and passed by the Maine State Legislature effectively modernizing Maine probate code and procedure.
Upon his retirement from the court in 1997 he received a special recognition for his distinguished service from the Probate Judges Assembly and the Maine State Legislature. In 2009, upon his 50th anniversary as a member of the bar, he was presented with the honor of Life Member from the Maine State Bar Association.
Throughout his life, Dick enjoyed the company of good friends in the outdoors fishing, hunting, skiing, organic gardening, and mountain-climbing. He was an avid reader, had a keen interest in current events, adventure and history authors and along with Elaine enjoyed collecting art and spending their summers enjoying his native Maine and wintering in Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas and Vero Beach area, Florida.
A memorial service for family and friends is planned for June 2011. Arrangements are entrusted to Hall & Bibber Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 78 Main St., Thomaston. For those wishing to view or leave comments in his memory, an online tribute 'Book of Memories' webpage has been set up and can be found at www.hallfuneralhomes.com/thomaston.html.
Should friends desire, donations in his memory may be made to:
American Heart Association
51 U.S. Route 1, Suite ME
Scarborough, Maine 04072
or you may visit his website with American Heart Association at
http://honor.american.heart.org/
site/TR/?pxfid=191330&pg=
fund&fr-id=1030.
Richard E. 'Dick' Whiting