John "Jack" Whittemore

John “Jack” Trees Whittemore peacefully began his final journey on August 20, 2025, at the age of 92.

He was born to the late Russell Granville Whittemore and Martha Trees Whittemore, and his early years were spent in Tarentum, Pennsylvania. At the age of nine, he remembered hearing the news of Pearl Harbor being attacked and, like many of his generation, carried a deep sense of duty to his country. During the Korean War, he enlisted in the Marine Platoon Leaders program in 1952 and, upon graduating from Dickinson College in 1954, was commissioned as a Marine Corps Lieutenant.

Jack married Susan Krause in June of 1955, beginning a partnership that would span 70 years of unwavering devotion, shared adventures, and a love of travel. Together, they explored new places near and far, building memories that enriched their life together. Jack often joked that their long and happy marriage worked so well because “the Marines taught me to obey orders.”

During World War II, Jack’s father, a glass engineer for Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, was transferred to California to oversee the development of glass for fighter aircraft. While there, Jack attended school in Beverly Hills and developed lifelong athletic interests in baseball, basketball, and football. He later returned to Pennsylvania, attended Kiski Prep Boarding School, and went on to Dickinson College, where he was a true five-sport athlete, playing football, basketball, baseball, tennis, and track. Jack was a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity and maintained those friendships throughout his life. He later earned a master’s degree at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Jack began his career with Pittsburgh Plate Glass and later continued it with Xerox until his retirement. Afterward, he discovered a love of teaching, first through marketing classes at NWTC, and later as a substitute teacher - a role he continued until the age of 85.

After years on the East Coast, Jack and Sue moved to Green Bay, the place they loved and called home. Jack’s devotion to sports continued throughout his life. He played noon basketball at the YMCA until age 60, tennis at Four Seasons and Western Racquet Club, softball in the summers, and was an avid biker with Sue. Weekend stays in Door County often included creative ways to “find” court access at Rocky Shores, Fish Creek Condos, or the Landmark with his tennis friends. He and Sue also cherished their decades of sailing and “dock life” in Egg Harbor, where the eventual addition of showers was celebrated as a true luxury.

Jack gave generously of his time and talents to his community. He served on numerous boards and held leadership roles as Past President of the De Pere Kiwanis, Commodore of the Egg Harbor Yacht Club, and Commander of the Green Bay Power Squadron. A gifted writer, he also authored hundreds of invocations for Kiwanis and the EHYC.

Jack also served faithfully at Union Congregational Church as a Deacon, a member of the Christian Education Board, and a Sunday School teacher. In recent years, he especially enjoyed participating in the Seminary Secret Adult Education Classes, which deepened both his learning and his friendships.

Jack is survived by his wife of 70 years, Susan Krause Whittemore; his daughter, Judy, and her husband, Bob Kimble of Green Bay; his sister, Jean Whittemore Sippy of Frontenac, MO; his nieces, Elizabeth (Tim) Dugan of Chicago, IL, and Ann (Chris) Sciortino of Wilmette, IL; and his sister-in-law, Ruth Krause of Birch Bay, WA.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers-in-law, William Sippy of Frontenac, MO, and Al Krause of Birch Bay, WA.

A memorial service to honor Jack’s life will be held on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 2:00 PM at Union Congregational Church, 716 South Madison Street. Visitation and dessert will follow in the church hall. 

A livestream of the service will be available at www.unionucc.com

In lieu of flowers or other expressions of sympathy, donations in Jack’s memory can be made to Union Congregational Church.