Robert Foster Whitmer III, a summer resident of Quogue, died on November 18, with his family by his side.
Born in Manhattan, he was the son of Robert Foster Whitmer Jr. and Laura Taylor Whitmer, and attended Greenwich Country Day School, St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire, Yale University and the Harvard Business School. He served in the U.S. Army as second lieutenant. His business focus—marketing and advertising—included J. Walter Thompson in Manhattan, The Stanley Works in Connecticut, General Electric in Connecticut, SCM Corp. in Pennsylvania and The Danforth Group in Connecticut. He enjoyed volunteering at the pantry of Operation Hope, an agency for those in need of shelter and food. A member of the Quogue Field Club, the Quogue Beach Club and the Fairfield Beach Club, he will be remembered, survivors said, for his sense of humor, wisdom, thoughtfulness, love of jazz and swift work on the tennis court and golf course. He was a wily fly fisherman too.
Mr. Whitmer is survived by his wife, Mary Leigh Pell Whitmer; sons, Robert Foster Whitmer IV and wife deLancey Funsten Whitmer, Walden Pell Whitmer, John Love Whitmer; and grandchildren, Jenna Michelle Whitmer and Garrett John Whitmer. He is also survived by a sister, Laura Whitmer Spadone; nieces, Laura Spadone, Allison Spadone Karonis and Lele Whitmer McKenry; and by nephews, Paul Spadone and Martin T. Whitmer Jr. A brother, Martin T. Whitmer, predeceased him in 2011.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, December 5, at 11 a.m. at St Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Fairfield, Connecticut. A memorial service and interment will be held during the summer in Quogue.
Memorial donations may be made to Operation Hope, 636 Old Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824, or a charity of choice.