G. Walter Whalen

Walter was born in Boston, Massachusetts on June 8, 1938, to G. Walter Whalen and Julia Frances (Nelson). He is survived by his wife, Jeannie (Lewis), of Phoenix, AZ, to whom he was married for twenty-four years and his sister, Kathleen Kenney (Boston), widow of Robert. He was blessed with three children, all of whom reside in Massachusetts. Cindy Hernan (Jack), Kathy Whalen and G. Walter Whalen III (Kelley Doyle). He was the proud grandfather of Payton and Hannah Whalen, Matthew and Christopher Hernan and Tatum Whalen Swanson. He also has three step grandchildren, Peyton, Lila and Gus Belsher. Walter previously was married to the late Ann (Richmond).

In 1957, Walter graduated from Milton High School, Milton, Massachusetts, where he excelled in athletics as captain of the football team and as state champion in track and field, setting numerous state records. He is a member of Milton High School’s student-athlete Hall of Fame.

Walter graduated from Boston College in 1962, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. Following his graduation, Walter served as a Lieutenant JG in the U.S. Navy, performing a wide range of duties including leadership roles aboard the U.S.S. Albany.

Walter went on to a distinguished career at Xerox Corporation where he was consistently the leading salesman. Walter then worked as Branch Manager at A.B. Dick Company’s Profit Center, ultimately purchasing A.B. Dick Company of Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, where he tripled the business each year of his ownership.

In 1993, Walter moved to Arizona to become Executive Director of International Business Products, a billion-dollar buying group.

In 1996, Walter and Jeannie made Phoenix, AZ their home, where Walter then recognized the opportunity in the housing boom and embarked upon a career in real estate.

Earlier in his life, Walter was an avid adventurist who enjoyed skiing, sky diving and time on the ocean boating and fishing. Later in life, Walter cultivated interests in painting, traveling and reading. A sport fan always, he loved the New England Patriots and followed a variety of college football teams. Walter dearly loved his Golden Retrievers Casey and Zoe and trained and registered them as therapy pets at Gabriel’s Angels, a nonprofit organization with a mission of coaching pets to provide healing therapy to at-risk children.

While he endured many health-related challenges in his later years, Walter fought bravely with dignity and grace. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no services will be held in Phoenix. There will, however, be a celebration of life service in Boston at a later date. To preserve his legacy of compassion and care for animals, the family is asking that any tax free donations in Walter’s memory be made to Gabriel’s Angels, 727 Bethany Home Road, Suite C-100, Phoenix, Arizona 85014, through its website, www.gabrielsangels.org.