Celebration of Ned Whaley's Life

   On Saturday April 4, 2015, Dave Briggs and I attended a gathering of "Mr. Whaley's family and friends" to celebrate his life.  Ned passed away on December 26, 2014(Obituary), but certainly not from our minds, not from our hearts.

   The event was held at the American Legion Post No. 6, Farmington, N.H. and was sponsored by his three son's, Matt, Chris, and Mike. Many friends and family members were present including his beloved grandchildren.  Dave and I proudly represented all students who graced the English and Backgrounds classes of HHS, as well as those who participated in the Winter Carnival ski events, the Ski Team, the school newspaper, or perhaps even in a study hall which he monitored.  We all felt the presence of his guiding hand, even though we probably didn't realize it at the time.

  Following a period of arrival and a catered lunch, the three sons of Ned began the festivities, each giving a presentation.  Matt produced a slide show set to music from Ned's record collection.  There we could see things that were so important to him - family and family events such as graduations, military service (his own in the US Army's 10th Mountain Division which served in the high mountains of Italy during WW II), weddings, sporting contests, weddings, vacation travel, as well as friends and of course, his profession: teaching and painting.  It was a very touching show.
   A few selections are shown here ... [There is no audio for the first as it was blocked by YouTube due to copyright law.  The others are fine.]

 



  Chris followed with memories of Ned's favorite sayings and some animal stories quite familiar to the family.  I didn't get good coverage of the beginning of this, but the lead in was this:  imagine a hot summer day after a long day of hiking.  The family is in the Nash Rambler rumbling down the highway towards home.  The boys are thirsty and hungry.  Syping a gas station, they cry out for him to stop and get them drinks.  His response:  "Oh Nooooo, there's water at home!"

 Ned was evidently the proverbial zoo keeper of stray animals, both domestic and wild! We heard those family stories as well.

 

 

 Next up was oldest brother Mike.  Mike read two of Ned's poems which tell much of his inner soul.  The first was called Tom Larsen; it tells of a wartime experience high in the mountains of Italy during WW II.  The second reading was Little Boys. Oh how he loved his grandchildren.

 



 

After two family friends gave short talks on Ned's friendship over the years, I was up!  As students of Mr. Whaley (not "former" students, for we were always his students, even in later life.), I tried to explain what an honor and a privilege it was to be in his classes - even though we certainly didn't understand the depth of our learning at the time.  I read a poem written by my wife Kathy for the 2011 Live Poets Society Gathering - Reflections.  Therein she so eloquently describes how Ned impacts those who never met him and never sat in his classroom, but knew his heart through his students ... or from her husband.

 

Following me, Dave brought his "A-game" to the stage with The Nash Rambler and a reading of another poem written for the 2011 Gathering.  This one is authored by Sally Marcotte and is called: Our Dynamic Mr. Whaley.

 

 

 

  After the festivities, Chris said that it was good for the grandchildren to hear from us as students of their Grandfather.  It certainly provides another dimension to the life and legacy of him in their eyes! 

 

 Mike, Dave, Matt, Chris, Bob

 

 Chris

 Dave

 Mike

   Mike, Matt, Chris

 Matt

 Live Poets Society

 Photo Board

 Painting by Ned

Dave and Mike

 Pictures

 Ned on the gridiron

 

 



















* Wachusett - Mountain of Memories

10th Mt. Division - Summit Mt. Wachusett

10th Mt. Division Memorial with Fire Watch Tower in Background - Mt. Wachusett

As I mentioned at the Gathering in May, I make frequent trips to the summit ... a run on the trails, a hike, snowshoes in winter, a picnic, rain or shine, dawn or dusk, daytime or nighttime. It doesn't matter; it's who I am. But more of late, at the summit, I stop at the plaque and think of Ned and his fellow troops, of each of you, of English and Backgrounds class, dump stumping, relay races, readings on the bandstand, and our school days. Indeed how fortunate we are to have those memories to share. And how lucky I am to have the mountain and the plaque so close at hand. I can leave the house and in an hour, it all comes back. Do come visit!

* Dave Briggs Presentation Speech (8:00 am, Wednesday June 15, 2011)

The Delevan E. Whaley Award for Excellence in Teaching at Hartford High School

Ray Stanford '63 Makes Award Presentation to Paul Keane

Ray Stanford '63, Byron Hathorn '67, Dave Briggs '64, Paul Keane

Good morning. We are here to relate a story and make an announcement we think you will find interesting and rather unique. We on this stage represent several classes of Hartford High School graduating in the 1960’s: Ray Stanford ’63, Dave Briggs ’64, and Byron Hathorn ’67.

Ray is a former Peace Corps Volunteer and now a Property Manager. Byron is a Vietnam Vet and now Builder-Developer. He is also one of the top Master ski racers in the country. I’m a former Army Engineer Officer and now an Innkeeper. We point these things out just to show what can happen down the road from your Hartford days.

Along with an impressive number of others from our era we have come to realize something special we all hold in common. That thing is the enduring positive impact of a certain teacher from our Hartford High School days. This teacher taught us English but also helped our generation start a Ski Club and out of that the revival of a long dormant Hartford Ski Team.

The teacher’s name is Delevan E. Whaley, Jr. Today he resides in retirement in Portland, Maine. Upon leaving Hartford we lost touch with him except for a few chance contacts with classmates who would report in on him. Although those occurrences were rare and not often communicated, the impact of this man’s teaching kept being recalled at reunions, in letters and in numerous conversations over the decades. Even though our world had been turned upside down and disrupted by the war in Vietnam and we became more mobile and out of touch, the gifts brought to us by Mr. Whaley factored in our personal and intellectual development. His lessons remained prevalent in our thinking. This teacher had made a truly remarkable difference!

Prior to his days at Hartford High School Mr. Whaley had served and fought as a ski trooper with the famous 10th Mountain Division in Italy in WWII. He attained his BA degree in English at Syracuse University.

The hallmarks of his legacy with us were: exposure to great literature, the encouragement to express ourselves in writing, a sense of humor and playfulness, the optimism to form a ski club and team, the courage to speak truth to power and the importance of mutual respect between teacher and pupil.

A few years ago, thanks to the miracle of the internet and e-mail, it was confirmed that Mr. Whaley remained a legendary figure in the eyes of many people for all the great contributions he had made to our lives. Off and on, people spoke of trying to find him and to re-connect. This past spring, after well over 40 years, that idea finally came to fruition in the form of a reunion featuring the great man himself. He was greeted here in White River Junction by about 25 HHS grads from not only here in the Upper Valley but the whole country including Nebraska and California.

In the spirit of all he taught us we named our ad hoc reunion group “The Live Poets Society” reflective of the Robin Williams Movie “Dead Poets Society”. Mr. Whaley himself was quick to express how gratified he was by the name since he was in fact still alive after all. And he readily agreed to attend our reunion. The reunion featured an afternoon of reading poetry and literary pieces. Mr. Whaley read from his volumes of poems written over the years and we, his students, brought forth our own work.

During the time leading up to this extraordinary reunion event we further realized that amazing teachers, although not common enough to be taken for granted, do come along at a steady pace and they deserve to be recognized; their gifts to all of us are formidable. Indeed our society is buttressed by excellence in teaching. With that we decided it would be fitting to begin an award that would call for truly excellent teachers to be confirmed in public. And so we are here today to make an announcement. The Live Poets Society, so-called, will convene with the administration of Hartford High School to develop appropriate criteria and standards for an award to be called The Delevan E. Whaley, Jr. Award for Excellence in Teaching at Hartford High School. We will present HHS with a plaque which can hang in the hallowed halls of our alma mater with honored names posted for all to see.

We therefore encourage faculty, administrators and students to nominate those who impress with their Excellence in Teaching for recognition in the name of Mr. Delevan E. Whaley, Jr. We would remind all to not limit nominations to current members of the faculty but to past ones as well. Indeed we bring proof that greatness is long remembered and valued and therein lies its true measure.

To begin on this path of recognition we told the administration we would like to call for the nomination of a teacher to be the first to receive this award (and to meet Mr. Whaley himself insofar as he was happily still alive). While retaining the highest standards of excellence to properly honor Mr. Whaley we also told them about Mr. Whaley, his style, his substance and how we had been so thoroughly enriched by him. Accordingly we are here today to not only inaugurate the award but to name publicly the first ever recipient.

After having received the nomination and after having introduced this person to Mr. Whaley we are delighted in the choice on all counts. Today we would like him to come forth to receive our congratulations and your applause for his excellence in teaching.

The First Delevan E. Whaley Award for Excellence in Teaching at Hartford High is therefore, hereby, made to: Mr. Paul Keane.

By: The Live Poets Society

June 15, 2011 Hartford High School White River Junction, Vermont

__________________________________________

Twenty-five Years as a Vermont English Teacher

Beneatha in A Raisin in the Sun, Hartford High School, 2011

Sargeant Pepper (every Halloween at HHS from 1987-2011)

Editing student papers at HHS, circa 1995

Lord of a Renaissance Feast, Whitcomb High School, 1986-87

Letter from Former Student, Ryan Peterson '95

(posted with his permission)

Note: "TER" refers to the essay style "Thesis / Exposition / Recapitulation"

* HHS AWARDS ASSEMBLY: First Whaley Award Presented

Inscription on this handsome brass clock reads

"Delavan E. Whaley, Jr. Award

Paul Keane - 2011"

* The Valley News 5/10/11

NOTE: Text can be enlarged with a left click of the mouse or by holding the Ctrl button down and pressing (+)

* Inaugural Program: Live Poets Society

The old Hartford High School and Delavan E. Whaley, Jr.

* Live Poets Society Honors Delavan E. "Ned" Whaley

The Live Poets Society

Presents

Special Guest
Mr. Delevan E. “Ned” Whaley

Come and join this special reunion with a Teacher for the Ages, our own Delevan “Ned” Whaley who is still more reverently referred to as “Mr. Whaley”.

Mr. Whaley will be coming to the Upper Valley for this special event - Saturday May 7th. We have arranged this occasion to honor him and to enjoy his presence once again.

This will be a rare opportunity to meet old friends and classmates and to share some time with this truly memorable educator and poet.

Saturday May 7, 2011
Hotel Coolidge
White River Junction, Vermont

Program –

Saturday May 7, 2011
12:30 pm - Lunch with the Honored Guest
Break - to rest or take a renewed look at WRJ and/or the Upper Valley scene
4:00 pm - Poetry Readings from Ned’s Work and others
Break
6:30 pm - Social Time and Dinner
Over Dessert - A Tribute to Mr. Whaley
Presentations of Stories and Memories

Sunday May 8, 2011
8:30 am Brunch and Departure

* Officers – Self Ordained – One Year Terms
• Bob Young, HHS ‘63 President
• Jack Young, HHS ‘63 Vice President
• Dave Briggs, HHS ‘64 Secretary
• Jim Woods, HHS ’62 Sgt-at-Arms