Obituary for Maurice Matthew Whalen Jr.
Maurice “Mike” Matthew Whalen, Jr. died peacefully Monday, May 2, 2022 at Pendleton Health and Rehabilitation Center in Mystic, CT. He was 89.
Maurice was born in Chicopee, Massachusetts on August 10, 1932, a son to the late Claire (Weninger) and Maurice M. Whalen, Sr. He lived in Holyoke, MA before moving to Dunellen, NJ in 1945, South Plainfield, NJ in 1964, and lived in Edison, NJ until moving to Connecticut for the last 4 years.
After graduating St. Peter’s High School in New Brunswick, NJ, Maurice was drafted as a pitcher and rose to the level of AAA for the Philadelphia A’s. He then served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and after honorable discharge, earned a Bachelor of Arts from Seton Hall University. All who knew Maurice knew his love of baseball; Maurice was a scout for the Kansas City Royals, a NJSIAA Rules Interpreter, a member of the American Legion Chaumont Post 243, and coached American Legion Baseball teams for many years. He was well known and admired in his roles as umpire and sports official.
He worked as a self-employed Commercial Realtor, and was the owner of his business Video Station in Fords, NJ for more than 20 years before retiring. He was predeceased by his brother David Anthony Whalen and his half brother Herbert Cummings.
Maurice is survived by his son Michael Whalen and his wife Heather, his four daughters Mary and her husband Robert Laurencelle, Eileen and her husband Dr. Brian Fertig, Catherine Hofmann, and Rita and her husband Dr. Gary Tuma. He is also survived by his 13 grandchildren Robert Laurencelle, Alison Laurencelle, Esq., Matthew Fertig, Dr. Katherine Whalen and her husband Dr. Richard Vincent, Thomas Whalen and his wife Kristen Whalen, Daniel Whalen, Michael P. Whalen, Mac Whalen, Susan Whalen, Maurice M. Whalen II, Robert Hofmann and his wife Rachel, Olivia Tuma, and Jackson Tuma, and 8 great grandchildren Emma, Alexandra, and Claire Hofmann, Christopher and Annabelle Vincent, and Joseph, Brooke and Kevin Whalen.
Visitation will be Friday May 6, 2022 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Valley Memorial Funeral Home, 1012 Valley Road, Gillette, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday May 9, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. at The Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Metuchen, NJ. Interment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery in Piscataway, NJ.
Maurice was born in Chicopee, Massachusetts on August 10, 1932, a son to the late Claire (Weninger) and Maurice M. Whalen, Sr. He lived in Holyoke, MA before moving to Dunellen, NJ in 1945, South Plainfield, NJ in 1964, and lived in Edison, NJ until moving to Connecticut for the last 4 years.
After graduating St. Peter’s High School in New Brunswick, NJ, Maurice was drafted as a pitcher and rose to the level of AAA for the Philadelphia A’s. He then served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and after honorable discharge, earned a Bachelor of Arts from Seton Hall University. All who knew Maurice knew his love of baseball; Maurice was a scout for the Kansas City Royals, a NJSIAA Rules Interpreter, a member of the American Legion Chaumont Post 243, and coached American Legion Baseball teams for many years. He was well known and admired in his roles as umpire and sports official.
He worked as a self-employed Commercial Realtor, and was the owner of his business Video Station in Fords, NJ for more than 20 years before retiring. He was predeceased by his brother David Anthony Whalen and his half brother Herbert Cummings.
Maurice is survived by his son Michael Whalen and his wife Heather, his four daughters Mary and her husband Robert Laurencelle, Eileen and her husband Dr. Brian Fertig, Catherine Hofmann, and Rita and her husband Dr. Gary Tuma. He is also survived by his 13 grandchildren Robert Laurencelle, Alison Laurencelle, Esq., Matthew Fertig, Dr. Katherine Whalen and her husband Dr. Richard Vincent, Thomas Whalen and his wife Kristen Whalen, Daniel Whalen, Michael P. Whalen, Mac Whalen, Susan Whalen, Maurice M. Whalen II, Robert Hofmann and his wife Rachel, Olivia Tuma, and Jackson Tuma, and 8 great grandchildren Emma, Alexandra, and Claire Hofmann, Christopher and Annabelle Vincent, and Joseph, Brooke and Kevin Whalen.
Visitation will be Friday May 6, 2022 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Valley Memorial Funeral Home, 1012 Valley Road, Gillette, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday May 9, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. at The Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Metuchen, NJ. Interment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery in Piscataway, NJ.