 |
| Bill in 2014 with former Polly Whippen Trophy winners |
For longer than most of us
can remember, Bill Whippen has been a fixture around the Stuart Sailfish Club. For many years, Bill and Polly lived in Hobe
Sound on one of the canals, with his boat, Kugels, behind the house. Later he resided here in Stuart, and the past
five years at Allegro. On November 3rd,
Bill passed quietly in his sleep. He was
96. He didn’t want to be a bother to
others with a service or such, but requested only that his ashes be scattered
in the Gulf Stream out the St. Lucie Inlet.
That will happen in early December.
Bill was very active in the
Club, running tournaments, serving on committees, or just helping out with
whatever needed to be done. He served on
the Board of Directors for more than 30 years up through 2015 and as president
from 1999 to 2001. Unless he was out of
the country, the gentleman with the warm friendly smile and sparkle in his eye
rarely missed an event.
After his wife died in 1998, Bill sponsored the
Polly Whippen Memorial Trophy that was awarded each year to the Top Lady Angler
Club Member at the annual Ladies Tournament.
According to his son, Wayne, through his will, Bill left the Club money
to continue this award into the future. He also provided the brass plaques every year
that participating boat owners received tor fishing the Light Tackle
Tournament. Bill always represented what
made this Club what it has been for so many years and we’ll miss him.
