Longtime Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation President Donald Whitney dies, age 72

Longtime Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation President and Trustee Donald Whitney died on Sunday following a brief illness. He was 72.

Mr. Whitney was born Jan. 29, 1948, in Watertown, Jefferson County. Following his graduation in 1966 from Adams Center Central High School, Mr. Whitney earned an associate’s degree from Adirondack Community College, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SUNY College at Potsdam and an administration degree from St. Lawrence University.

Mr. Whitney married Linda Reed in 1971 and they had three daughters together. The couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday.

Mr. Whitney spent more than 40 years in education, having taught reading, writing and spelling at Belleville Central School District and Watertown City School District. He also served as a reading consultant at Harold T. Wiley School in Watertown before becoming an assistant principal. In 1987, Mr. Whitney became principal of the Sherman Street Elementary School. Over the next two decades, he served as principal in nearly every building of the school system. He finished his last decade as Case Middle School principal and retired in 2010.

As a nephew of Daisy Marquis Jones, Mr. Whitney had served as a trustee for the foundation since 1993 and as president since his retirement in 2010.

“After he retired from his teaching position he would come to Rochester almost every week for two or three days to help run the foundation, which was a lot of work to drive every week from Adams Center, near Watertown,” said foundation Trustee John Matteson. “He loved to drive, even in the wintertime.”

The Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation was established in 1968 by Daisy Marquis Jones and her nephew Leo Marquis Lyons as a way of giving something back to the community. The foundation is dedicated to improving the well-being of residents in Monroe and Yates counties by funding programs that aid disadvantaged children and families. It is a member of the Grantmakers Forum of New York.

Mr. Whitney was known for his love of the outdoors as much as his passion for staying busy. He enjoyed mountain climbing and was an avid hunter.

“The best thing about Don was he never sat still, he always had two or three things going at one time,” Matteson said.

Mr. Whitney is survived by his wife, Linda, three daughters, Kamra (Dan) Rowland, Shannon Whitney (Brian Wekar) and Megan Whitney, three grandsons, three sisters and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Calling hours will be at the Carpenter-Stoodley Funeral Home in Belleville, Jefferson County, on Friday, Jan. 15, with a private funeral service on Saturday. A celebration of life will be held in the summer of 2021.

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