Terry Whalen

WHALEN, Terrence E. "Terry", 75, of Danbury, Connecticut, formerly of Springfield, Ohio, passed away on Saturday, March 31, 2018 in Danbury Hospital. "Big Ter" was always referred to as "a gentle giant" or "the nicest guy ever". He was born March 21, 1943 in Springfield, the son of Edward J. and Margaret "Eileen" (Riley) Whalen. He was a 1961 graduate of Catholic Central High School where he was the Quarterback and Captain of the football team. He continued his football career at the University of Dayton. After graduating from UD Terry began a long, successful career with IBM World Trade Corporation. Terry's IBM career took him to hundreds of exotic stops all over the world. Upon retirement from IBM, he soon agreed to join some friends at D.C. Media and Marketing, simultaneously Terry served as General Manager of the Danbury Westerners in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) for eight years. Terry also coached numerous youth sports including serving as Senior Babe Ruth Baseball Commissioner and coaching the Danbury Trojans football team that won the 1991 Pop Warner National Championship in Jacksonville, Florida. He was a U.S. Army Reserve veteran, a member of the Knights of Columbus, Past President of the Danbury Exchange Club and a strong supporter of Bill Pullan and the Jimmy Fund. In 2015 Terry was presented the Michael Seri Appreciation Award by the Danbury Westerners for perpetuating community partnerships, dedication and sportsmanship. Survivors include his wife of 42 years, Skavarat; two sons, Christopher (Caryn) and Theodore; one granddaughter, Charlotte; three sisters Mary Eileen (Tom Baratka), Anne, and Karen; one sister-in-law, Donna; three brothers, Rich (Sue), Tim (Judy), and Dennis; one special aunt, Ruth Anne "Aunt Rudy" Dingeldein; a close, lifelong friend, Tom Palmer; and many, many cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Patricia; his brother Jerry; a nephew, Jeremy Baratka; two sisters-in-law, Janet and Jackie Whalen; and a special uncle, Ted Dingeldein. Friends may call from 4:00pm until 7:00pm on Thursday, April 5th at the Jowdy-Kane Funeral Home in Danbury. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:15pm on Friday, April 6th at St. Joseph Church, Danbury. Burial will follow in St. Peter's cemetery in Danbury. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Danbury Exchange Club or to Catholic Central High School. A memorial celebration will be held in Springfield, Ohio at a later date.