Peterborough man, Benjamin Whitehill mourned after his untimely death
By ABBE HAMILTON
Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
Published: 8/7/2019 9:09:44 PM
Friends and family of Benjamin Whitehill recalled his friendliness, integrity and loving loyalty to the people in his life on Wednesday.
Jeff Vanjoolen, a friend of Whitehill?s as well as his supervisor in the Air National Guard, said "He loved his family. Not just his wife and kids, but his whole family: mother, father, siblings, and his Guard family."
Whitehill was found dead in Braun Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee on Sunday. He was 34.
Whitehill was a resident of Peterborough, and grew up in Wilton and Peterborough. He graduated from Granite State College and worked at the Federal Aviation Administration in Nashua.
Vanjoolen described Whitehill as a "gentle giant," funny, and intelligent, with a 'bright side of life' attitude.
"He crossed the aisles at work to know people on all sides. He was friends with everybody," Vanjoolen said. "There's gonna be a big Whitehill-shaped hole in this world without him."
Morgan Jadis of Hancock said he met Whitehill when they were young children, and they?d been friends ever since.
"He was my go-to guy," Jadis said, the type to respond to a friend in need in the middle of the night or help to move a refrigerator. "He?d be there."
"He was good at treating people the way they should be treated. Very sincere. He was a good example of what we should all try to be. I didn?t realize how much I loved him. The world is definitely a better place for having him in it. As his family and friends, we have some big shoes to fill," Jadis said.
The marine patrol unit of the state police were still finalizing an incident report related to Whitehill's death on Tuesday. Lt. Crystal McLain said that her department was working on follow-up interviews with witnesses who were around Braun Bay over the weekend, and said the death did not appear to involve suspicious circumstances.
Whitehill is survived by his wife Chelsea (Imhoff) Whitehill, his daughter Olivia Whitehill, and his stepchildren Caleb, Christian and Elianna Williams. He is also survived by his father, Mark Whitehill, his mother, Cynthia Harris, and his siblings, Samuel Whitehill and Bailey Whitehill.
His family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations to honor his memory can be made to Ben Whitehill's Memorial Education Fund for his children?s educational needs at GoFundMe.com.
To leave the family a message of condolence, please visit
www.jellisonfuneralhome.com.