Henry Whitbeck

Henry Beach Whitbeck of Cobleskill and Cherry Valley, a leader in area civic organizations during the last half of the twentieth century, died November 15, 2008, at his daughter's home in Cobleskill. A Richmondville resident and attorney for many years, he was 94 years old.
Henry was born in Cherry Valley, Otsego County, on August 15, 1914, to Marion Beach Whitbeck and Henry Whitbeck, Jr. He was graduated from Cherry Valley school in 1933, Union College in 1937, and Albany Law School in 1940, and commenced a law practice in Cobleskill. He enlisted in 1941 and was commissioned into the Army Air Corps and assigned to the judge advocate general's staff at Mitchell Field, Long Island. In 1942, he married Mildred Rew of Cobleskill and in 1946 was discharged from the army as a captain. The Whitbecks then settled in Richmondville where Henry practiced law and Mildred was secretary until their retirement in 1995. During his professional career, Henry served as Schoharie County attorney and as attorney to many area towns and school districts, and to the Bank of Richmondville and the village of Richmondville.
An active member of the Union College Alumni Council, Henry also remained active in Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity following graduation. He was active in the American Legion and was county commander in 1948 and later Third District commander. In Republican politics, he served as chairman of the Schoharie County Republican Committee in the 1950s and was named Schoharie County Republican man of the year in 1997.
Henry was a board member of Community Hospital for many years and treasurer from 1966 through 1972. He served on the SUNY Oneonta College Council for twenty-seven years and the Schoharie County Industrial Development Agency from 1972 through 2004. He was a member of Schoharie County Historical Society and Cherry Valley Museum, both of which he served as a trustee, and he served on the Otschodela Council of the Boy Scouts for many years.
A lifelong member of Grace Church, Cherry Valley, he also attended Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cobleskill. He was also a member of Sons of the American Revolution, the Masonic Lodge, and Rotary.
Henry is survived by his wife of sixty-six years, Mildred Rew Whitbeck; his children Anne (Lester Hendrix), Henry J. (Lizabeth), and Jane Whitbeck (Jim Wayman); and grandchildren, Giancarlo and Tatiana Boba; Rene, Henry W, David, and Devon Whitbeck; Kyla Berdan, and Jesse and Cody Outlaw; and great-grandchildren, Pamela and Rosa Boba.
During his final years, Henry received wonderful care from a number of caregivers, and his family members extend their gratitude and appreciation to these devoted friends and aides.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at the Mereness-Putnam Funeral Home 171 Elm St. Cobleskill with Rev. Jennifer Boyd of the Zion Lutheran Church in Cobleskill officiating. Friends are also invited to visitation hours from 6 to 8 PM on Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be with military honors at the Springfield Center Cemetery, Springfield, NY.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Pathfinder Village, 2 Chenango Road, Edmeston NY 13335, or the Jackson Law Office, Schoharie County Historical Society, 45 Fort Road, Schoharie NY 12157.