David Collins Whipple

David Collins Whipple, of Cohasset, age 94, died January 2, 2016. Beloved husband for 71 years of Jacqueline (Conant). Born in Ossining, New York, Dave attended Scarsdale High School and Swarthmore College. He was active in the Second World War at home as an engineer and in the Pacific as a Navy radio technician. In 1946 Dave obtained both a Master’s degree and a Professional degree in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and began a 40-year career as an electrical engineer at the Draper Laboratory.  He received awards from MIT and NASA for his contributions to the Apollo space program. In 1958 Dave and his family moved to Cohasset, where he was active in the community. He served as a cub-scout pack leader, a Little League coach, member of the Cohasset School Committee, Unitarian Church Parish Committee, American Field Service Committee, as well as a van driver for the Council on Elder Affairs. For many years Dave donated blood and was the recipient of the Rh donor award from the Massachusetts Red Cross. Dave was an athlete who regularly jogged, swam and played tennis. He played clarinet in the jazz band at Swarthmore and in his later years with the Rusty Skippers in Cohasset. He was known for his scary piano renditions at Halloween to generations of trick-or-treaters. Dave was a member of a group of retired men in Cohasset known as the “Old Goats.” In addition to his wife, Dave is survived by four children: Nancy Whipple Grinnell, of Newport, RI, Roger Whipple of Duxbury, MA, Dr. Leah Whipple of Kimberton, PA, and Benjamin Whipple and his wife Carol Gladstone, of Brookline, MA; a sister, Virginia Vaughan of Williston, Vermont; ten grandchildren: Lucinda, Geoffrey and Lydia Grinnell; Justine and Carolyn Whipple; Emma, Damon and Arlo Menapace; and David and Elizabeth Whipple; and one great grandchild, Seda Tavtigian-Grinnell.  A memorial service will be held at TIME TBD on Saturday March 5, 2016 at First Parish Church, 23 North Main Street, Cohasset, MA.  Memorial donations may be made to a charity of one’s choice.  

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