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It has taken some four decades of hard work to build the great
tradition that is Aquinas. This has been accomplished only through
the efforts of those men who have given entirely of themselves
— men such as Father John R. Whitley.
His dedication and love for Aquinas and everyone connected with
the school is manifested in his every action. As the Director
of the Library he aids in keeping the academic facilities of
the school at a more than adequate level of efficiency. As teacher
and priest he attempts to forge young boys into young men of
whom Aquinas can be proud. As Director of our Color Guard, he
has helped successfully to mold it into a unit on a par with
any other color guard in the state. And as Director of Publicity
he never misses an opportunity to broadcast to the world his
sincere feeling that Aquinas is the greatest.
But it is as a person that Father Whitley makes his outstanding
contribution to the school. His devotion to the school coupled
with his exuberant energy constitutes a highly contagious spirit
which, through his pep talks, never fails to enliven the students'
school spirit, whether Aquinas is the victor or the victim.
And his seemingly endless good humor and clowning keeps everyone
in good spirits.
To Father Whitley, therefore, in humble appreciation for all
he has done, we, the students of Aquinas Institute, dedicate
this Arete of 1966.
RIP Father Whitley
Father Jack died peacefully on Sunday, June 24, 2012 after a
brief illness. Just a few weeks prior we had learned that
Father Jack was scheduled to be in Rochester to celebrate a
mass for a neice. We also learned that he would be
celebrating a birthday while in Rochester. John Palermo and
Dave Behr put the wheels in motion to organize a surprise
party for Father Jack. We had several former Color Guard
members coming in from out of town. It was to be a special
evening to honor Father Jack, but the good Lord had other
plans. Just before he was scheduled to travel to Rochester
Father Jack was admitted to a hospital in Houston. His
Doctors would not let him travel. We were all disappointed,
but we held the party in his honor anyway. Sister Nancy his
sister atteneded as well as several other family members in
his place and they heard all the heart warming stories that
were told that night. We had hoped to talk to him via Skype,
but it would have been to stressful for him so he declined.
Never the less we had a good time and his family was very
grateful for the honor we bestowed on Father Jack. Below is
the obituray that was posted in the Houston paper.
Rev. John Raymond Whitley, C.S.B. 28 June 1927 ~ 24 June
2012
Posted Jun 25, 2012 by Mark
 
Father Jack succumbed to pulmonary complications at
about 6:30 am at Seven Acres Hospice in
Houston, Texas.
Arrangements for Fr. Jack’s services…Tuesday, 26 June:
Rosary and wake at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church from
5:00-8:00 PM. Wednesday, 27 June:Funeral Mass at St.
Elizabeth Ann Seton Church at 10:00 AM. St. Elizabeth Ann
Seton is located at 6646 Addicks-Satsuma Road, Houston,
Texas 77084. Church phone: 281-463-7878.
Father Jack Whitley “...the most loved Knight in the State
of Texas” Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Clergy Night 27 January
2012 John Raymond Whitley was born to W. Raymond Whitley and
Margaret Loughney in Rochester, New York on the 28th of
June, 1927.
In 1944, John (Jack) Whitley was
graduated from Aquinas Institute in Rochester, New York and
entered the Rochester Novitiate where he made his first vows
on August 15, 1945. A year at St. Michael’s College in
Toronto, Canada, was followed by three years at Assumption
College in Windsor, Canada, where he earned a B.A. from the
University of Western Ontario in 1949. He attended the
University of
Toronto Library School in 1949 and 1950 and
earned a Bachelor of Library Science Degree in 1950.
The
following year he taught Latin and Science at St. Thomas
High School in Houston where he
began his studies of
Theology. He completed his studies of Theology at St.
Basil’s Seminary while
also teaching at St. Michael’s
College School in Toronto, Canada.
Father Jack was
ordained June 29, 1954 at St. Basil’s Church in Toronto,
Canada by Cardinal McGuigan and celebrated his first solemn
Mass in Blessed Sacrament Church in Rochester, New York. In
1955, Father Jack was sent to Aquinas Institute in
Rochester, New York to serve the multiple roles
of
librarian, teacher of English and Theology, coordinator of
assemblies, director of graduation, and moderator of the
school band and Color Guard Instructor.
Under his
leadership, the Aquinas Color Guard won five New York State
championships and three national rankings. During his
seventeen years at Aquinas, he earned a Master of Education
degree from the University Of Rochester; a diploma from the
National Drum Corps Association; did further studies in
Library Science and English at Catholic University of
America in Washington, D.C.; and also served as
President
of the High School Library Section, and served on the
Executive Board of the Catholic
Library Association,
edited its yearly review of books; and later was elected to
the board of the
National Catholic Education Association.
On weekends, he would make mission appeals throughout
the
nation on behalf of the Basilian Fathers Missions. In 1973,
he was sent to Catholic Central High
School in Detroit as
an English and Science teacher and was then appointed
Assistant Principal.
In the fall of 1978 he entered
the Doctoral program in Educational Administration at Wayne
State
University. Subsequently, Father Jack was asked to
be the Principal of Andrean High School in
Merrillville,
Indiana, a position which he held until 1988 when he went to
Rome to study
Spirituality at the Angelicum.
In
the fall of 1989 he was sent to St. Joseph Center in Sugar
Land, Texas, where he served as
Director of the Mission
Center, and was responsible for funding the evangelical and
educational
activities of the Basilian Fathers Missions
in Mexico and South America, as well as serving as
Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus Council of St. Thomas
Aquinas Church and the Columbian
Squires, was a member of
the Fourth Degree Assembly at St. Theresa Church in Sugar
Land, Texas,
served as Chaplain of the Houston Chapter,
and served as Associate State Chaplain for the Knights
of
Columbus in the State of Texas for four years, 2009-2012. He
also served on the Diocesan
Mission Council, the Texas
Mission Council, and completed more than forty-five years of
preaching
for the missions in Mexico and South America.
Father Jack was awarded a Doctor of Laws degree from the
University of Assumption, and continued his work of
evangelization and making missionary appeals to generate
funds to support the apostolic activities of the Basilian
missionary priests until 2011.
Father Whitley was
inducted into the Aquinas HOF in May 2010. Read the
article in the attached link.
Guestbook Entries for Father Whitley's obituary
July 10, 2012
Fr John...Thank you for the education,life
experiences and fun you so richly gave to us as students at
Aquinas and as members of the Color Guard...God bless you
and thanks!!!
~ Jim Curtis, Lubbock, Texas
June 27, 2012
RIP Whit Johnson (aka Rev. John R.
Whitley), the man responsible for the best times in high
school traveling and competing in the championship AQ Color
Guard. A truly dedicated and generous person who put up with
a lot from us wild kids.
~ John Castelein,
Rochester, New York
June 26, 2012
Father
Whitley taught me dedication and to strive for perfection.
He taught me how to win ...and to work harder if we lost. He
was an example of passion and patiance, as our leader. He
was a traditional priest who did a great job dealing with
crazy teens in changing times. I wouldn't be the same man I
am today without him. Thank You Father.
~ Steve
Dragone, AQ Color Guard Class of 1972, Los Angeles,
California
June 26, 2012
I'm very
saddened to hear of Uncle Jack's passing. My thoughts, love,
and sympathy are with the
Whitley and Conners family.
~ Kristi Martin, Concord, Massachusetts
June 26, 2012
I thank the Lord for your dedicated
priestly service that has brought so many closer to God all
of these
years. As a chaplain with the Knights of
Columbus may you be welcomed into Heaven by our Blessed
Mother and Fr. McGivney. May you and all faithful departed
rest in peace,
Fraternally,
Tom
~ Tom
Furmanczyk, Cypress, Texas
June 26, 2012
Father Whitley, your homilies were always spontaneous, not
read. You spoke from the heart and I truly
felt you cared
for us and more importantly, I could tell youloved the Lord.
You inspired us all to be better persons. I am saddened by
your departure. Please pray for us that we may finish the
journey meet with you in heaven. Godspeed!
~ Ive
Nadal-Ammoune, Houston, Texas
June 26, 2012
Thank you for being our spiritual advisor for the startup of
Saint Basil Coffee. You received our first
distribution
check to our Basilian Missions in Colombia. It was a great
moment as we gathered with you
and Fr. John Robbins.
Thank you for your encouragement and support.
~
Jim Boyles, Houston, Texas
June 26, 2012
Fr. Jack inspired all of us at Aquinas as Basilian
scholastics with his sense of dedication as a priest and his
loyality to the Lord. I want to extend my condolences to
friends and family members.
~ Rev. George Hosko
csb, Houston, Texas
June 26, 2012
Father
Whitley was a natural parent ... he took on the role of
guiding parent for so many of us as we traveled with him
constantly in high school years. He saw us at our best and
worst momments as teen boys and always was there to
encourage us, compliment us or give us that "look" ...
always with the attitude of unconditional love (even when I
didn't know that terminology ... I knew what it felt like to
be
unconditionally loved!!!) Thank you Father ... I cry,
not for you but, because I was so fortunate to have been
under your care for 4 exciting years and do not have the
words to tell you how deeply grateful I am to you. THANK
YOU!
~ Al Keys, Santa Barbara, California
June 26, 2012
Fr. Jack, thank you for letting us
hijack you after 9:00 am Mass to hear our confessions and
for being
the healing voice of Christ. As the Irish say,
May you be in Heaven an hour before the devil knows
you're dead. Thank you God for blessing us with such a
beautiful priest.
~ Patti, Houston, Texas
June 25, 2012
Fr. Jack was the epitome of a true
Christian...I will so miss Him.
~ Robert Kossman,
Houston, Texas
June 25, 2012
Those of us,
who had the good fortune to be in the Aquinas Band and Clor
Guard in the 1960's came to
know Father Whitley in a
special way. We all have fond memories of Father Whitley. A
dedicated priest
has been called to his eternal reward.
~ Frank Verstraete, Rochester, New York
June 25, 2012
Glad we could bring some joy to him
with the birthday celebration CD of his accomplishments with
the
Aquinas Color Guard and Band. He will be sorely
missed. May God smile on him.
~ Tom Brady Sr,
Niagara Falls, New York
June 25, 2012
Thank you Lord, for Fr. Jack. As the spiritual director for
the Legion of Mary; University of St. Thomas,
Fr. Jack
was a blessing. What a holy man! He loved our our Lady.
May the souls of our departed Legionaries and the souls of
all the faithful departed through the mercy of
God rest
in peace. Amen.
~ William O, Houston, Texas
June 25, 2012
Fr Jack inspired all of us at Aquinas
with his sense of fairness, dedication, perfection and
determination.
We all left better men and carried those
virtues throughhout our lives because of Father Whitley.
Forward March, Jack!
~ Bob Colby, Atlanta,
Georgia
June 25, 2012
Fr. Whitley, you
are finally able to hear our Lord's words, the same which
you also
frequently recalled on your homilies; "Well done
my good and faithful servant, enter
into the kingdom that
I have prepared for you" We will miss you so much.
~ Shadi & family, Houston, Texas
June 25, 2012
An inspiration to everyone he met. As a
Knight, he served as Associate State Chaplain with 2 State
Deputies, Chapter Chaplain since 2000, 4th Degree District 1
Chaplain, 4th Degree Assembly Associate
Chaplain, Council
Chaplain of 2 councils. He loved his Knights and we loved
him!!
~ Tony Herreth, Missouri City, Texas
June 25, 2012
St. Thomas Aquinas Knights of Columbus
Council 7382 was privileged and honored to have Father
Jack as our chaplain. We are grateful to God for sharing Fr.
Jack with us and we pray that God grant
this holy man His
eternal and loving peace.
~ Larry
June 25, 2012
As a member of the Aquinas graduating
class of 1969 and a member of the Aquinas Color Guard under
the direction of Fr. Whitley I am deeply saddened by his
passing. Father had an unbelievable influence
on all the
Color Guard and Band members at Aquinas. I personally have
so many fond memories of my
Color Guard days and
everything that Fr Whitley did for us. Farther touched many
lives while at Aquinas
and I'm sure many more since he
has moved on from Aquinas. He was a great man and will be
missed.
~ Dan Kinney, Durham, North Carolina
June 25, 2012
Sir Knight Father Jack was an
outstanding servant of God. I know he will be dearly missed,
especially
by the Knights of Columbus which he tirelessly
promoted. Holy and most gracious Lord Jesus Christ,
surround Father Jack with your loving arms and give peace
and comfort to him forever and ever. Amen.
~ Sir
Knight Richard Thompson, Houston, Texas
June
25, 2012
Fr. Whitley, you will truly be missed by all
those whose lives you touched. Whether working as the
Chaplain for the UST Knights of Columbus Council my freshman
year or guiding my spiritual
development through the
Sacrament of Reconciliation, I know that you served and
still serve as a model
of holiness for me and for many
other young people. Thank you for all that you and the
entire Basilian
congregation do for the world. My heart
and prayers go out to your family, friends, parishoners, and
brother priests. In paradisum deducant te Angeli.
~ David Markus, Houston, Texas
June
25, 2012
Fr. Jack will be missed. He was a blessing to
all.
~ Marie
June 25, 2012
Father Jack was a Blessing to all!! Thank you for all you
did for my family and our Parish. Rest in Peace
sweet
man.
~ Alan Phillips, Alvin, Texas
June 25, 2012
A Saint has graced our lives and surely
will be missed here on earth. Now Heaven,who needs him more,
rejoices as he enters into our promise land-home with Jesus.
What a blessing you are to all who were
touched by your
life on Earth. Now your work continues in Heaven. Thank you
for your love and prayers.
Julie Ray & family
~ julie ray, houston, Texas
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