Roger E. Whitaker Sr.

Roger E. Whitaker, Sr., whose kindness and creativity touched countless lives, passed away at his home in Harford, Pennsylvania on November 11th at the age of 92. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 65 years, Mary A. Donnelly Whitaker.
Born April 10, 1933 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, he was the son of the late Kenneth H. Tiffany and the late Thelma Hendry Whitaker. He was the stepson of the late John M. Whitaker.
A lifelong love of drawing earned Roger admission to the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts, where he graduated in 1950. He was a gifted cartoonist with an irrepressible sense of humor and a deep desire to make others smile.
Roger was a proud veteran of the Korean War, enlisting in the United States Navy in 1952 and serving as a member of the Seabees. While stationed overseas, Roger shared his sense of humor through the many cartoons he created for the base newspaper. He was trained as a heavy equipment operator, stationed in the Philippines and on Guam, Mariana Islands. He successfully completed his service and was honorably discharged in 1956.
1956 was also the year he met the love of his life, Mary A. Donnelly. Their wedding on June 8, 1957 began a marriage that would last for 65 years until Mary's passing in 2022.
Roger first went to work with his brothers Bob and Jack and with his dad, John Whitaker. Together they operated White Circle systems, a collection of true Jersey diners in Newark, Bloomfield and Orange, New Jersey. Later he would join his brother Dick Tiffany in creating MATHCO. Their company would grow to include renovating Friendly's Ice Cream stores throughout the Northeast. The years of work Roger would cherish most were those spent with his sons, Roger, Jr. and Ron at R. E. Whitaker & Sons in Harford. Those days on jobsites, in the shop in his barn and on the road together were among the most meaningful of his life. As "the Chief", Roger had the gift of turning any workplace into one where people wanted to be. And one constant throughout his work life was that it was always with family, working beside the people he loved.
Always an active community member, Roger was a co-founder and first president of the Parsippany Athletic League, coached his sons in the Livingston Little League, Junior Football, active in the YMCA Indian Guides, Boy Scouts and a member of Kiwanis.
In 1981 Roger and Mary bought a home in Harford that would become a gathering place for family and friends and create four decades of countless wonderful memories. As a descendant of one of the founding Nine Partners, Harford was a familiar place for Roger having visited family there many times growing up. He continued his commitment to community as a member of the New Milford Rotary Club where he served as president twice and received the Paul Harris Award. At the age of 60, he learned to play the bagpipes and became a founding member of the Greater Scranton Black Diamonds Pipe Band. In his 18 years as a piper and drum major, Roger cherished the camaraderie and unforgettable memories made with the band. He was honored to join them for their recent 30th anniversary celebration.
He was a devoted, lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, an even more enthusiastic fan of the games, activities and accomplishments of his grandchildren and great grandchildren, a staunch supporter of our 2nd amendment rights, never missed a morning crossword, was an avid reader, and loved Hershey bars and Guinness Stout.
Roger leaves behind a legacy of dedication, creativity, loyalty, and love to the lives he touched and the cherished family he held close along the way.
He will be deeply missed, forever loved and is survived by his children, daughter, Mary Godfrey and husband Doug, son, Roger Whitaker, Jr. and wife Maureen, and son, Ron Whitaker and wife Della. His grandchildren, Erin Maloney and Brian, Meghan Ford and Ben, Douglas Godfrey, Jr. and Angelika, Daniel Godfrey and Chelsea, Colleen Whitaker, Sean Whitaker and Shea, Kelsey Whitaker and Tim, Mickey Whitaker and Makenna Whitaker. His great-grandchildren Mary, Brian, Adelaide, William, Emily, John, Fae, Carson, Elizabeth, Madelyn, Maeve, and Caden.
He is also survived by his siblings, Barbara Cooper, Richard Tiffany, James Charles Tiffany and Mary Clayton.
He was preceded in death by his brothers, Robert Tiffany and Jack Whitaker and sister, Regina Tiffany.
We invite you to join us in remembering both Roger and Mary on Friday, December 5, 2025 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Shifler-Parise Funeral Home, 18 Airport Road, Clifford, PA. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Pius X Church, 3615 State Route 106, Clifford, PA. Interment will follow at the Peck Cemetery, Harford, PA.