David J. Whitham, 87, beloved husband of Lucille (Finore) Whitham, passed away Feb. 14, 2014.
He was born May 28, 1926,in Jamaica, NY, the son of the late David G. and Elinore (Wenz) Whitham.
At an early age he moved to Milford with his parents. His grandparents had a stand at Walnut Beach, which was later called “Daves”. Dave was proud to be known as a “Beach Bum”, and contributed to “Sand in Our Shoes”, a book detailing the history of Walnut Beach.
He left Milford High School to join the Navy in 1943, and was on the initial voyage of the U.S.S. Intrepid while being stationed at Pearl Harbor. After his honorable discharge, Dave returned to Milford High School and graduated with the class of 1948.
Dave was a Fire Department Volunteer at Station 3, and joined the Milford Fire Department as a paid member in 1950. When Dave retired in 1989, after 39 years of service, he had reached the rank of Assistant Chief and Training Officer.
He was a member of the Connecticut State Fire Chiefs Association, the Police & Fire Department Retirees Association, a long time member of the Milford Lions Club, and a Cub Scout Den Leader.
Dave married Lucille in 1955 and they enjoyed 58 years together. He will also be greatly missed by his son, David G. (Lisa) Whitham, his adoring grandchildren; Ashley and Brittany Whitham of Milford, sister Joan Whitham Viola of Milford, brother-in-law Joseph Finore of Tom’s River, N.J. and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Dave enjoyed golf and bowling and was a member of several leagues. He was a devout parishioner of St. Mary Church and was a member of their league many years ago. He will be greatly missed by his Fire Department brothers who were very close to him and remained great friends during and after his retirement. He will also be missed by his neighbors, whose children called him “Uncle Dave”.
Dave and Lucille vacationed at Disney World many times, Las Vegas and Barbados, Niagara Falls, Florida, Catskills and Lake George.
The Whitham family would like to thank Connecticut Hospice and Connecticut Home Care for their care and support. Special thanks go out to Dave’s brothers in the Milford Fire Department for their loyal care and support, and to the many friends and neighbors who helped out during this time.
Friends may call Wednesday, February 19th from 4-7 pm at the Smith & Sefcik Funeral Home, 135 N. Broad St. Milford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, February 20th at 11:00 am in St. Mary Church. Interment will follow with Military Honors in Milford Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Dave’s name may be made to Toys for Tots, c/o Milford Fire Dept., 72 New Haven Ave, Milford, CT 06460, Connecticut Hospice, 100 Double Beach Rd, Branford, CT 06405 or the St. Mary Church Food Bank, 71 River St., Milford, CT 06460.
To leave condolences or for directions, please visit our website @ www.georgejsmithandson.com