GEORGE WHITTLE

WHITTLE--George Traver,

90, died at his home in Stuart, Florida on May 7, 2017, seven weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His wife, Gloria, son John and good friend, Joe Gemmell were with him. Dr. Whittle was a gentleman, a gifted and caring surgeon, a respected sailor and a great raconteur. He practiced Urology in Monmouth County, NJ for almost 50 years. He was born at home in Lakewood, NJ on January 1, 1927, and he spent his childhood between Akron, Ohio and Sag Harbor, NY. A graduate of Lakewood High School, he entered Princeton University at age 17, accelerating and graduating in two years, Class of '48. While there, he was a member of the Navy V-12 officer Candidate Program, captain of the intercollegiate sailing team. He earned his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania, again completing the program in two years, He received his bachelor of arts degree from Princeton and medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania at the same time. His internship was at Graduate Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania and surgical residencies at the Bronx VA and Columbia Presbyterian Hospitals in New York. In 1952, he was called to active duty in the Navy and served as a doctor during the Korean War. He maintained three offices in Monmouth County and served on the staff of Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, NJ, Riverview Hospital, Red Bank, NJ and Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ. He started the first renal dialysis unit in central New Jersey. He performed lithotripsy surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center, New Brunswick, NJ and was on the teaching staff of Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. He was a Diplomat of the American Board of Urology and elected a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Intellectually curious and always looking to stay abreast of new developments in medicine, he attended a symposium in Elsinore, Norway on Transgender identity. Upon return, at the request of Johns Hopkins University, The University of Minnesota and the UCLA Medical Center he volunteered to surgically treat six transsexual patients. This led to him becoming one of the leading surgeons of transsexuals in the country, completing both male to female and female to male. He commented that it was one of the most gratifying and challenging aspects of his medical career. This was a time of overwhelming adversity to addressing the problems of transsexuals, both by the public and the medical, profession. He and Gloria, compassionately and successfully counseled and treated many transsexuals, developing a rapport and friendship that lasted long after sexual reassignment. George was a voracious reader, focusing on military history and especially World War II. His day was not complete without reading the Wall Street Journal followed by the comics. Never shy about expressing his strong opinions, especially politics and taxes conversations could be both stimulating and annoying. The depth and breadth of his knowledge about an enormous array of subjects never ceased to amaze those who were listening. He loved the opera and was an accomplished classical pianist, his favorite composer, Rachmaninoff. He had his private pilots license and was instrument rated and flew a Cessna Cardinal. George was a respected and excellent sailor. He shared his love for sailing to anyone who joined him, always sharing his knowledge He went on to compete in many races including 12 Newport/Bermuda races. He also competed in his J-24 "BOOPS" and sailed in the world championships. He was a member the Shrewsbury Sailing and Yacht Club and the Toms River Yacht Club. Although unable to sail in later years, he never gave up ownership of his beloved "Sylph" a one design custom 41 foot sloop. His mother Marion Traver Whittle was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Academy of Fine Arts, and was an accomplished copyist of the great masters. Twenty seven of her originals on the life of Christ are copyrighted in Washington, DC. His father, George Valentine Whittle graduated from Webb Institute of Naval Architecture and received a masters degree from George Washington University. A career naval officer, he held 52 patents, including the first inflatable life raft and the Mae West life jacket designed for airships. George at age four was the first passenger to ride in the raft. Captain Whittle was an investigator of the air ship accidents, the Akron, the Macon and Shenandoah. Captain Whittle made two crossings on the Hindenburg and was Commander of the base at Lakehurst, NJ when it crashed in 1937. George age ten was on the field with his parents and friends to watch the landing and experienced the crash first hand. His mother immediately went to the infirmary to assist with the burn victims. She then used her lipstick to put a "M" on the foreheads of the patients who had been given morphine. Several years ago, Gloria and George were guests of the Zeppelin family in Friedrichshafen, Germany to visit the Airship Museum and tour the replica of the Hindenburg. After retirement, Captain Whittle became Dean of Advanced Engineering at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. His cousin, Sir Frank Whittle is credited with being the developer of the jet airplane engine had his burial services in Westminster Abbey in London. George is survived by his wife of 24 years, Gloria. His twin sons, John (Diane) sons, Luke and Drew, Charleston, SC, David (Wendy) daughters, Paige, Little Silver, NJ. Caity Bender, (Brian) of Maryland. Also, a son, George Jr. and daughter, Ann and their families in New Jersey. In addition, Gloria's children, Kathy Herche (Don. deceased) Belmar and sons Jesse and Job, of Maryland, Bonnie (Frank) Liantonio, children Amy and Frank, Jr. Point Pleasant, NJ and Harry II (Chip) wife Kelly of Shark River Hills, NJ and their daughter Sydney age nine, the apple of George's eye. His remains will be with his parents and sister Marilyn at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, DC.