Stanley Leroy Whetstone Jr.

Stan was born in Newark, NJ to Stanley and Mary (Rhoads) Whetstone. Soon after his birth, the family settled in Belleville, NJ where his sisters, Janice and Molly were born. Stan lived in Belleville throughout his childhood and the family often visited relatives who all lived in eastern Pennsylvania where both of his parents had deep roots. Visiting his favorite Aunt Edna in Sunbury, where he enjoyed fishing in the Susquehanna River and visiting country farms, were fond memories for Stan. Stan graduated from Belleville High School as the valedictorian of his class. His passion for reading led him to the local library where he told us he had read most of the books there by the time he graduated. After finishing his first year at Williams College in Massachusetts, Stan was drafted into the Army during WWII.

After a stint at Ft. Benning, GA, Stan boarded a ship to Europe in January 1945. His 335th Infantry in the 84th Regiment headed across Europe into Germany where his unit liberated a Polish work camp, among other duties, during the final days of the Battle of the Bulge and beyond. Stan was a radio repairman, installing, inspecting, testing and repairing equipment. Eventually he was able to board a train to Biarritz, France where he took college classes while awaiting the ship Queen Mary to return home where he separated from the Army at Ft. Dix, NJ in May 1946.

Stan headed back to Williams College and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Physics. He then decided to continue his studies at Cal Berkeley to earn his PhD in Physics. Stan met Jeanne Clark at the Cal Ski Lodge on Donner Summit near Lake Tahoe. They were soon married in Carmel-by-the-Sea and began their married life in Berkeley while Stan finished up his PhD studies. Their first child was born in Berkeley and, soon after Stan graduated in 1955, he accepted a position at the Los Alamos, NM national laboratory where he continued research on nuclear accelerators in the physics division. No, Dad said, he never met Robert Oppenheimer!

Three more children were born in Los Alamos and the family settled there in that little mountain town. Most every winter weekend found the family skiing at Pajarito Mountain where Stan was on the ski patrol. Stan and Jeanne enjoyed their circle of friends up "on the hill" and Stan especially liked going to the Santa Fe opera, playing the piano and fishing in the Valle Grande. Stan would drive the family in our station wagon all the way to New Jersey to visit his parents and while there we also enjoyed many happy days in Cape May at the shore. During those years, the family also lived in Seattle, Washington, where Stan taught physics at the U of W, Vienna, Austria, where he worked at the International Atomic Energy Agency and Gaithersburg, Maryland, where he finished his career at the Dept. of Energy.

Later in life, Stan was married to his second wife, Joan DeLanoy Fredericks, and the two enjoyed their cabin at Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland, traveling throughout the world, attending their college reunions, spending winters in southwest Florida and summers in Park City, Utah. They finally moved to Naples, FL year-round to enjoy the warm weather and easy life in the tropics. They joined the Presbyterian church where Stan sang in the choir. After Joan passed, Stan continued living in Naples, with many visits from family, before we convinced him to move to Colorado just last March. Dad enjoyed our visits and eventually moved to the same facility as Mom. Dad and Mom had always remained amicable and shared an August birthday, so it was special to us that we celebrated with them this year in the sunroom with pizza and ice cream!

Dad was a good listener; intelligent, contemplative, quiet, analytical. He liked poetry, walks in the woods, skiing in the mountains, playing Chopin on his piano, viewing British comedies and reading literature and his science journals. He enjoyed family dinners, listening to all of the conversation around him. He would probably suggest that you read these books: The Wind in the Willows, Ishi: Last of his Tribe, Gay Neck, A Walk in the Woods, The Last of the Mohicans, The Beak of the Finch and the poems of Robert Louis Stevenson.

Stan is survived and missed by his children, Karin (Dave) Culter, Greeley, CO, Kirsten Whetstone (Rich Bullough), Park City, UT, Sally Stokes, Johnstown, CO and Steven (Karen) Whetstone, Mill Valley, CA. Also survived by his grandchildren, Sarah (Aaron) Johnson, Denver, CO, Daniel (Kitty) Culter, Cheyenne, WY, Sean Stokes, Cedar Rapids, IA, Connor (Brittany) Stokes, Knoxville, TN, Ryan Stokes, Honolulu, Garrett (Natalie) Bullough, Seattle, and Kellen Whetstone and Kirsten Whetstone, Mill Valley, CA. Also, great-grands, Quinn and Carver Johnson, Weston and Bridger Culter, and Emmy and Cayden Stokes. Also, sister, Janice Troxler and niece, Genevra Simonson, Bradenton, FL, nephew, Geoff (Diane) Simonson, Warrenton, VA, niece, Kimberly (David) Hammond, Springfield, Oregon, niece Rennie (Scott) Cole, Riverview, FL and nephew Jesse Couch. Preceding him in death were his parents, sister Molly Couch, nephew Jonathan Couch, Jeanne Whetstone (just two weeks before him) and Joan Fredericks.

Please view Stan's obituary at resthavencolorado.com to see photos and offer memories and condolences.