James F. Whitney, obituary

Wed, 07/10/2024 - 5:30pm

TOPSHAM — James “Jim” F. Whitney, 96, of Topsham, passed away peacefully on February 13, 2024, in his residence at The Highlands, Topsham, Maine. Born on October 12, 1927, in Rockport, Jim’s life was marked by a keen sense of adventure, love of music and entertainment, a strong commitment to family. His positive nature and kindness impacted all who knew him.

Raised in Rockport, Jim was the last surviving brother of a family of 7 children. He proudly served at the end of World War II in the Army Air Corp as a radar technician on the B29 Flying Fortress. He would later leverage his military training and enter the newly developing world of computers working for Raytheon, GE, and Honeywell. His career as a computer engineer would afford him the opportunity to travel the world providing engineering support for both government and civilian organizations.

Jim married Roberta (Bobbi) Mayo in 1953 and she was the love of his life. Their life together was filled with adventure, and they would travel to Africa, the Amazon, and Australia together. Bobbi predeceased Jim on April 30, 2014. They would raise 5 boys (Jim, Jeff, Jon, Jason, Justin) and instill in them a sense of free spirit that has taken them to all parts of the country, each successful in their chosen fields. Jim was extremely proud of both his children and his 14 grandchildren, all surviving him.

Jim was a talented singer and loved to entertain. He performed in his first show with his sister Mary at age 5 and continued to perform until he was 95. He recognized the joy of music and loved to be on stage. During his 11 years at The Highlands, he performed at least once a month for the residence, doing karaoke and bringing happiness to the lives of his friends.

Jim will be remembered on July 27, 2024, at 10 a.m., at the New Rockville Cemetery, West Rockport, Maine.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim’s memory can be made at the Cure JM Foundation https://www.curejm.org or the Wounded Warrior Project, https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

Condolences may be shared at www.longfuneralhomecamden.com. Arrangements are with the Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 9 Mountain Street, Camden, Maine.