Joseph Gabriel Whelan Jr.

Joseph Gabriel Whelan, Jr. – Dad, Dabbins, Joe, Uncle Joe, Grandpa – born on the morning of the coldest day of March 1945, March 6th, took this snowy beginning as his cue to spark warmth, life, knowledge and playful humor into the world around him.

It's no easy task to chronicle his life: the countless stories, battles, frustrations and triumphs – especially because even in our grief and loss, we can't forget he was often the first to drop an irreverent joke into a difficult situation. He took his passions in life seriously, but laughter was high on the list.

We lost him after a few short months battling brain cancer, on Wednesday morning, November 23rd, 2022, at 77 years old. He leaves behind a complex, precious legacy, plus an improbably large collection of books, notes, and papers.

He's survived by his three children, Joseph (with Sylvie), Robert (with Preeta Samarasan), and Natalie (with Rishi Rattan), ex-wife Margaret Whelan, siblings Gabrielle Karas and her four children, Richard (with Anita) Whelan, William (with Kathleen) Whelan and Cecily (with Byron) Peeples and their two children. He’s also survived by four granddaughters, Coralie, Juliette, Rumika, and Juniali, and many beloved in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews. He is predeceased by his parents, brother-in-law George Karas, and nephew Georgie Karas.

Dad grew up in Jamaica, Queens, where he attended St. Nicolas of Tolentine Elementary School and Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School on scholarship, where he excelled at shot put. He went on to St. John’s University, where he also earned his MBA. He passed all four parts of his CPA exam on the first try (winning him $200 for each part from his boss at the time).

Dad met his wife-to-be Margie when she moved in next door, at the time a flight attendant for PanAm. They bonded when he assured her he could help dispose of a dead cat but changed course to junkyard treasure hunting along the way.

Professionally, he variously worked as a short-order cook and NYC cabbie, supported emotionally-disturbed boys at the Grove School, taught accounting at Pace University, worked as a comptroller for Ultramar and auditor for Arthur Young, and founded an independent accounting business (Advantage Business Group, an IBM business partner). He spent 25 years on the Westchester Rent Guidelines Board and 5 years as its chair.

His greatest passions often flowered outside of work; he was a voracious learner and perpetual student, always in the thick of things, not watching from the sidelines.

He adored the beach – building massive sand castles in the sun, swimming, sailing and surfing, clam chowder… and recounted selling his surfboard “to some guy who wanted to put a sail on it” in the early days of windsurfing. He completed biathlons and triathlons with friends and family, proudly refusing to wash the inked competitor number off his arm for days afterwards.

Because the lifeguarding classes at the YMCA were filled, Dad took piano lessons on a whim; then rarely resisted trying out any keyboard he passed after that. A passion for banjo music found him with a banjo signed by Earl Scruggs and business cards reading “Joseph Whelan, fledgling banjoist”. And he never missed an opportunity to catch a live music performance, ideally outdoors!

Especially when faced with frustrations in other parts of life, Dad could immerse himself absolutely in his interests like no one else. He turned a focus on education into joining the school board, and political opinions into running for state senate (“walking for office,” as he phrased it).

Recalling his students struggling with abstract, overcomplicated accounting texts, he started drafting a new accounting principals textbook using concepts from Einstein's writing. With perfect Dad style, he printed business cards citing its imminent publication.

Dad’s boundless curiosity and drive to collect knowledge and insights extended to sharing – he loved to pass on what he'd unearthed: with friends and family, with his students, via regular contributions to the Record Review, and he was always overjoyed to meet strangers with shared interests.

A devout Catholic, Dad was equally hands-on with his faith. He was a lecturer at St. Timothy’s, an active participant in his men's ministry group and the Knights of Columbus, and often turned to his faith for guidance in challenging times.

In his memory: no need for flowers. Instead, share a story and a laugh, see some live music and strike up a conversation with strangers about any topic under the sun… and take your vitamin D.