Dr. Ben Whitehill

1930 - 2022

DR. BEN WHITEHILL
Dr. Ben Whitehill died on June 7 in Wausau, Wisconsin, after four days in the hospital. He is remembered as a calm, loving, caring, person who was dedicated to service to others, particularly the underserved.
He was born in Marshalltown, Iowa, on April 20, 1930, and graduated from Marshalltown High School where he was senior class president and captain of the football team. He attended Grinnell College and graduated in three years with a BA degree and membership in Phi Beta Kappa. He attended Harvard Medical School and graduated in 1955 followed by an internship at Chicago's Cook County Hospital. He served from 1956-58 in the U.S. Navy as the Battalion Medical Officer for the Sea Bees on Guam. On July 21, 1957, he married Carolyn Slater, whom he had met at Grinnell.
Ben and Carolyn served as missionaries in Hong Kong during the difficult refugee years, 1960 to 1975. He studied and became fluent in Cantonese, which became his first tongue outside the home. Ben worked largely in chest medicine and drug addiction, later directing the world's first double-blind study of the use of methadone for the treatment of heroin addiction.
On return to the U.S. in 1975, Ben joined the U.S. Public Health Service and chose to be assigned to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, where he served as Medical Officer at the Leavenworth Penitentiary, then Chief Medical Officer at the Atlanta Penitentiary. He transferred to the Indian Health Service in 1983 and became Clinical Director at the Santa Fe Indian Hospital, serving Native American people in northern New Mexico.
Upon retirement in 1993, he and Carolyn did overseas volunteer work for three months in Hong Kong; later three months in a mountain village in Honduras; and two months in Quito, Ecuador, all connected with the church. He continued his volunteer work in Santa Fe, including programs at the Penitentiary of New Mexico, Santa Fe homeless shelters, and Bread for the Journey, a non-profit helping start-up community projects. He and Carolyn were selected as Santa Fe Living Treasures in 2016. He enjoyed international travel -his last trip being to Mongolia. He was known for his culinary skills and generous hospitality.
Ben was preceded in death by his parents (Joe and Verna Whitehill), his daughter, Tara Whitehill, and his sister Ginny Southard. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn, his daughter, Julie (Paul) Hladky, grandchildren Joanna (Corey Anderson) Hladky, Chris Woodward, Mark Woodward, and Gibson (Bridget) Hladky-Krage and great grandson, Finn Hladky; and many nephews, nieces and cousins, both in the US and Canada, his mother's birthplace.
A memorial service to celebrate his life will be at Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, on July 23 with visitation at 10:00 am and service at 11:00 with a reception to follow.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his name to La Familia Medical Center (Santa Fe, New Mexico), where he served on the Board of Directors for nine years. It offers high quality services delivered in a manner respectful of patients' rights and dignity, regardless of their financial resources. Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.shudafuneral.com