In Memoriam
Bob Whalen IN LOVING MEMORY married in 1951 . Pat waxes poetically that their wedding luncheon consisted of a hot dog and a shared orange drink at the iconic Nedick ’ s restaurant .
When Bob and Pat Whalen were
born in New York City in 1931 , they were considered “ throwaway kids ” as they were both left to fend for themselves at very young ages , each cast aside by their parents . Bob , who never knew his mother and father , was raised by his Aunt Margaret , along with his grandmother , and grandfather Zsedel . Pat was placed in a home for several months then given to her grandparents to raise . Despite a rough start , together Bob and Pat built a life filled with love , a commitment to family and giving back .
“ Bob ’ s Aunt Margaret , and his grandparents , were wonderful human beings ,” shared Pat . “ They instilled in him the positive attitude that you can do anything if you put your mind and might to it . He believed this throughout his life . There was nothing he felt
Bob and Pat Whalen
he could not do . Especially in this wonderful country .”
The couple met as young kids during World War II , at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church on the Upper East Side and
“ After our wedding vows were spoken , we offered the minister a small token of our appreciation ,” said Pat . “ He returned it and told us to do something fun with it . I had my ideas , but Mr . Wonderful ( Bob ) won , and we went to the Strand Theater to see the movie Jim Thorpe – All- American . I recall that day like it was yesterday .”
Having moved more than 26 times during their lives together , Bob and Pat have both been blessed by the opportunities of hard work , wonderful mentors and a passion for philanthropy . Bob ’ s career was always on the up and up . Bob , who passed away on November 1 , 2021 worked tirelessly and became a widely known and respected aerospace executive who led and developed numerous high technology companies throughout the U . S . He held senior executive management positions at Aerospace Corporation , Martin Marietta Aerospace , Global Analytics , Alcoa , Lockheed Martin , and Titan . As an entrepreneur , he started and sold two successful technology-based companies .
16 GBSAN . COM | JANUARY 2022