Donald F. Whitney, 90, died peacefully in Freeport, Maine on Monday May 1, 2007.

He was born in Newton, Massachusetts on January 2, 1917, the son of Clifford Brigham and Sadie Forte Whitney. After graduating from Newton High School he attended Nichols College, graduating with a degree in business administration. During World War II he worked for the war effort at Sperry Gyroscope in Brooklyn, New York. He married Janet Gwillim in 1942 and they made their home in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts where they lived for forty-six years. After the war he continued his career as a packaging engineer with E.G.& G. of Boston, Massachusetts, Sanders, Co., and Harris Co. In 1990 he and Janet moved permanently to Chebeague Island, Maine, their longtime summer home and residence of both their daughters.

Donald was a conscientious man with a strong work ethic and sense of responsibility to his family and friends, always doing his best when he was needed. Whether it was supervising the packaging of fragile electronic equipment for transport across the Pacific Ocean or building a carefully stacked woodpile for winter, he truly understood the value of a job well done. Although respected for his accomplishments, he was humble. He was a devoted son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather, a true gentleman who will be remembered by his loving family for his honesty, sincerity and faithfulness.

He is survived by Janet, his devoted wife of sixty-five years; his daughters Susan Burgess, and her husband Ernest; and Lee Ann Robinson, and her husband Gordon. He also leaves a grandson, Ethan C. Burgess, of Chebeague Island and three granddaughters, Erin Burgess of Boston, Massachusetts, Ashley Adams and her husband Kai of Portland, Maine, and Amy Sidor of Portland; as well as two great-granddaughters, Whitney and Morgan Adams.