John Francis Whalen Sr., 83, of Newington, died Saturday, February 16, 2013 surrounded by his children at St. Mary Home in West Hartford. He was the husband of the late Helen Kelley Whalen of New Canaan.

Mr. Whalen was born May 6, 1929, in Waterbury, the son of John David and Gertrude (Deady) Whalen. He joined the U.S. Marines Corp and served valiantly in the Korean War. He studied at University of Hartford and earned a master’s degree from Trinity College. After a career as a police officer with the Hartford Police Department, he became a teacher for the Hartford Public School System. He later became one of the founding partners of the Hartford Board of Education’s work study program that introduced students to the workforce by pairing them with companies in the greater Hartford area.

He leaves three children and their spouses, Mary Ellen and Michael Kuzma of Woodbury, John and Christin Whalen of Kennebunkport, Maine and Sheila and Roy Szymkowicz of Chagrin Falls, Ohio and his grandchildren, Katherine Kuzma, Michael Kuzma, Caroline Kuzma, John Whalen III, Sam Whalen, Ryan Whalen, Brian Szymkowicz, Robert Szymkowicz, and Ellie Szymkowicz. He was predeceased by his brother Robert David Whalen of West Hartford.
Funeral Services were private. The Sheehan Hilborn Breen Funeral Home, 1084 New Britain Ave., West Hartford had care of the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Saint Mary Home, in honor of John F. Whalen Sr., 2021 Albany Ave., West Hartford, Conn., 06117.