John Lewis Whaley

Lt. Col. John Lewis Whaley, USMC (Ret.), 83, beloved husband, father, and grandfather passed away peacefully on Monday, November 16, 2020 at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington, NC due to complications from COVID-19.

Colonel Whaley was born August 11, 1937 in High Point, NC, the only child of William Arthur Whaley and Edith Payne Whaley. From an early age he loved all sports particularly football, which he played at High Point High School as a guard and tackle and was his team's co-captain.

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1960, he was accepted into the Marine Corps' Officer Candidate School and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1960. His Marine Corps career spanned 27 ½ years and he held 13 different duty assignments. He served two combat tours in Vietnam and served abroad in Japan for many years working with joint commands alongside his Japanese and South Korean counterparts. His last assignment was at the Pentagon at J6, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff serving as the J6 liaison for the US Readiness Command. Colonel Whaley was a highly decorated Marine, having been awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with 1 Star. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1987.

After the Marines, he earned his Master’s in International Relations from University of Maryland College Park and followed that up with post-graduate studies there and then worked for a brief time at the University of Maryland's Center for International Development & Conflict Management. His passion was studying and writing about foreign affairs especially the mutual security alliances between the United States, Japan, and South Korea, which was cultivated by his fondness for Japan and the Japanese people after having spent six years of his life there. Because of his military career and combat service, he was a lifelong advocate for peace and diplomacy, deterrence, and the wise use of military force.

After his wife retired from Fairfax County Public Schools, John and Bee moved to Topsail Island, NC fulfilling a lifelong dream to live at the beach. He enjoyed many years of relaxing at the beach with his wife and their dogs, Dasher and Duchess, while religiously watching the Washington Redskins and UNC Basketball. Beatrice, his beloved wife of 45 years, preceded him in death.

He is survived by three children, John Jr. (Sara) of Fairfax, VA, Suzanne (Ben Merrifield) of Clifton, VA, and Christopher (Tracie Citron) of San Rafael, CA; five grandchildren, McKenna, Corporal John L. Whaley III USMC, Rachel Merrifield, Grayson, and Beau; two great-grandchildren, Jay and Cora; and brother-in-law, Fred (Carla) Ullom, Jr. of Tucson, AZ.

The family will hold a private ceremony at Surf City, NC. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.andrewsmortuary.com.