William R. Whiteley

SAGAMORE BEACH MA. - William R. Whiteley, formerly of Seekonk, MA, passed away at his home in Sagamore Beach, MA on December 26, 2017. Bill was born in Pawtucket, RI, the son of the late Frank and Beatrice Whiteley. He was the husband of the late wife Dorothy Whiteley and the brother of F. Melvin Whitely.
Bill is survived by his great sons, William Jr. of Seekonk, MA and Robert of Venice, FL; cousins; nieces; grandchildren and great grandchildren; and his loving partner, Elizabeth, her loving children and grandchildren who gave him much love and happiness. He also leaves a special niece and her husband, Donna and Tony Pacheco.
Upon graduation from West High in 1942, he enlisted in the Navy Aviation Cadet Program and received his Navy gold wings and was a commission Navy pilot and at age 20 flew the torpedo plane TBF on the aircraft carrier USS Mission Bay in the Atlantic. Bill was scheduled to be in the invasion of Japan but all orders were cancelled when the bomb was dropped.
After his service he joined with another Navy veteran, Charles Gardiner of Warwick, RI and worked in the insurance business. In 1957 they established their office Gardiner and Whiteley, Inc. in Pawtucket. Bill served on several large insurance company committees and was very active in local charities. He served as treasurer for 20 years of the Pawtucket Boys and Girls Club, 48 year member of Pawtucket Salvation Army Advisory Committee, the United Way, 27 years as Lt. call member of the Seekonk Fire Dept., Master of Jenks Masonic Lodge of Pawtucket, and was Past President and last survivor of Seekonk Lions charter members. Bill was a longtime member of Memorial Baptist Church in Seekonk, an avid hunter, fisherman, and golfer with 2 hole in ones as a former longtime member of the Pawtucket Country Club. Bill was also a Past President of the Tk Club in Pawtucket.
Per Bill's wishes, there will be no services. Donations in his memory may be made to the Pawtucket Boys and Girls Club. Bill was honored to have many close and warm friends, his favorite saying was "A friend is a gift you give yourself"