Mr. William Pinckney Whelchel, Jr.

William Pinckney Whelchel, Jr. Obituary August 25, 1925 – November 3, 2016 William Pinckney Whelchel, Jr., 91, a WWII veteran and long-time resident of Albany, Georgia, passed away Wednesday, November 3, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. The family will receive friends on Friday, November 11, from 6-8 PM at Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Home. Dr. William “Biff” Coker will conduct funeral services on Saturday, November 12 at 2 PM at Covenant Presbyterian Church, followed by a private graveside service at Crown Hill Cemetery. A noon lunch in the Fellowship Hall will precede the services. Mr. Whelchel, affectionately known as “Pink”, was born August 25, 1925 in Gainesville, Georgia, to Mary Brown Whelchel and William Pinckney Whelchel, Sr. After graduating from Gainesville High School in 1942, Pink attended Riverside Military Academy. He then served two years in the U.S. Army during World War II. After returning from the war, Pink attended and graduated from Emory University in 1950. He moved to Albany, Georgia in 1951 and began his 49-year career as a stockbroker, earning multiple awards and recognitions for productivity and leadership. In 2000, Pink retired as Managing Officer to pursue full-time his love of fly-fishing and hunting. Pink loved many things in his life, but his greatest love was his wife of 55 years, Dorothy “Dot” Johnston Whelchel, who preceded him in death in 2011. A close second was Pink’s love of being outdoors, usually on a river fly-fishing with his son Bill or friends, many of whom he taught to cast a line. He also was an excellent shot, taking equal pleasure in hunting dove or quail and watching the dogs work the field. Pink was a man of strong faith, and he embraced his church community whole-heartedly. He was a Charter Member of Covenant Presbyterian Church for over 60 years and taught Sunday School for 46 of these years. During his life, he served as a Deacon, a Ruling Elder and a Trustee for the church. Never a man for a loss of words, Pink could and would talk to anyone. He had a special gift for making others feel welcome and valued. Friends and acquaintances could count on Pink for sharing stories, and he used his words to engage and enlighten others in various social and business settings. Pink was a Charter Member of the Dougherty County Kiwanis Club since 1952 and served as past Treasurer. One of his favorite past-times in his later years was reading to students at Alice Coachman Elementary School as part of the volunteer program through the Kiwanis Club. The children eagerly awaited their weekly visits from “Mr. Pink”, and the feeling was mutual. He also was a member of the American Legion Post 30 and a member of the Southwest Georgia Sportsman’s Club. Another great love of Pink’s was symphony and jazz music. He surrounded himself with music, often compiling his favorite recordings to share with others. During his early years, he played the saxophone in a band called The Melody Aces. He also played the piano, the accordion and the clarinet. In support of his love of classical music, he served as a member of the Board of Directors and past President of the Albany Symphony Association, as well as past President of the Albany Concert Association. Mr. Whelchel was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Pinckney Whelchel, Sr.; sister and brother-in-law, Nell Whelchel Wiegand and husband Frank A. Wiegand; sister, Shirley Whelchel McCool. Survivors include Mr. Whelchel’s daughter, Laura Whelchel Henderson and husband, Doug, of Atlanta, and three grand-daughters, Reeves, Alex and Abby; his son, William “Bill” Pinckney Whelchel, III, and wife, Donna, of Atlanta, and step-daughters Tiffany and Stephanie; two nieces, Mary Beth Begley and Ginny Crumley, of Gainesville, GA and their families. In lieu of flowers, the family request that contributions be made to Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2126 W. Edgewater Drive, Albany, GA 31707.

Mr. William Pinckney Whelchel, Jr.

August 25, 1925 - November 3, 2016