Richard Dorrance Whitehead Sr. of West Grove
Richard Dorrance Whitehead Sr., 88, of West Grove, died Friday, May 22, at his home at Jenner’s Pond Retirement Community.
He was born in Auburn, N.Y. on May 1, 1932, to the late Louis Henry Whitehead and the late Dorothy Hawthorne Whitehead.
Dick celebrated his 88 birthday three weeks prior to his passing. Dick and his wife, Doris, of 63 years, recently moved to the area from their beloved Lake Edge Farm, on Black Lake in N.Y. where he had lived for 30 years. Dick passed away after a long, courageous battle with cancer.
As a young child, Dick lived in Maplewood, N.J. and attended local schools. Dick graduated from Columbia High School. Dick met his wife, Doris Kleissler, while he was a senior in high school. He attended Williams College and graduated with high honors from Rutgers University School of Business in 1955.
In 1955, Dick joined Ernst & Ernst a certified public accounting firm now known as Ernst and Young for a life-long career in auditing. His career began in the firm’s New York City office. Shortly after joining the firm, he was drafted into the Army serving from 1956 to 1958. After completing his service, Dick returned to his career at Ernst & Ernst. In 1967, Dick was transferred to Caracas, Venezuela to manage Ernst and Ernst’s Venezuelan offices for 7-and-a-half years. Dick, Doris and their three children have very fond memories of the many years they lived in Venezuela. In 1970, Dick was named a partner of the firm. In 1974, Dick and his family relocated to the Hartford, Conn. area where he continued his career. In 1979, Dick then joined the firm’s national legal team as an audit advisor to the lawyers. The last 10 years of his career he combined his depth of accounting knowledge with his interest in business law. Back in 1955 he attended New York University Law School but decided to concentrate on his accounting career. Dick retired from Ernst and Young in 1989.
Dick and his wife retired to a farm on Black Lake in the North Country of New York. As a child, he had enjoyed working on his grandparents’ farms and especially enjoyed the time with the animals. Their Lake Edge Farm was known as their hobby farm and he raised chickens, horses, cows, goats and donkeys and even peacocks. Fondly known as the “Eggman” of Lake Edge Farm his eggs were special because they could not be purchased. Dick gave away dozens of eggs each week. After 23 years he then decided to downsize so that he could travel more.
Dick and Doris visited many foreign countries, traveled in their RV and visited all 48 contiguous states in the United States and many provinces in Canada. Dick was also very active in his community. He was an elder with Ogdensburg Presbyterian Stone Church, on the Board of Directors of the Frederic Remington Art Museum and a Board member of the St. Lawrence County Historical Association.
He is survived by his loving wife, Doris, and three children, Pamela Cornforth (Doug), Richard Whitehead Jr. (Jane) and Theodore Whitehead (Anastasia) and seven grandchildren, Ashley, Bradley, Anna, Rebecca, Richard, Theo and Zoe and three great-grandchildren Jackson, Alice and Benjamin.
In lieu of flowers you may wish to send donations to Ogdensburg Presbyterian Stone Church, 533 Stone Church Road, Ogdensburg, NY 13669, or to Frederic Remington Art Museum 303 Washington St. Ogdensburg NY or a charity of your choice.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a future memorial service and burial at Ogdensburg Presbyterian Stone Church, Ogdensburg, New York.
To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com
Arrangements by the Kuzo Funeral Home, Kennett Square.
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