Bill Andrew Whitney

Bill Whitney spent most of his 85 years involved in both art and theatre. A movie actor as a child, Bill became active as an adult in community theatre in Portland. During the 1960’s he also developed an interest in art, and participated in many group shows, along with several one-man shows, including a 30-year retrospective at the West Hills Unitarian Fellowship Doll Gardner Gallery in 1991. When Bill retired from 31 years of employment at the railroad, he set aside his painting and directed Senior Theatre for 20 years in Portland, Beaverton and Sherwood. After an Alzheimers diagnosis February of 2012, Memories in the Making offered by the Alzheimers Association revived his interest in painting and enriched his final years until his death from kidney failure. Bill was born in Umpqua, Oregon February 8, 1929. He was a combat veteran of the Korean War. He married Delia Dare in 1960, and they have two children, Pamela Cantu (David), a chef in Sacramento, and Marya Kain (Bobby), a prominent dementia educator who has been invaluable in helping her mother learn Alzheimers care in the past two years. He has two grandchildren, Ryan and Miranda, who enjoyed doing art projects with their grandfather in his final years, along with two nieces and a nephew. The family wants to thank the staff of the Alzheimers Association, Oregon Chapter whose guidance helped him to keep his sense of self and self-esteem during his cognitive decline. We are also grateful to Bill’s many friends who came forward to say goodbye—he has left us knowing that he was well-loved. A memorial open house will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2014 from 2-5pm; contact Delia or 503-281-8362 for details. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Bill Whitney’s name to the Alzheimers Association or his other favorite organization, the House of Dreams Cat Shelter, PO Box 30971, Portland, OR 97294.