Obituary of Joseph Michael Whelan

Joseph Michael Whelan, innovative developer of Portola Valley Ranch, died November 2, 2013 at the age of 87 in his home at the Ranch. Born in San Francisco on March 1, 1926 to Harry and Ruth Whelan, Joe was a grandson of Irish immigrants who settled in Yosemite Valley. He grew up in Atherton and attended St. Joseph's Elementary School. Joe served as altar boy as a youth and was a man of great faith throughout his life. Always active and athletic, he excelled at football at Sequoia High School. During high school he proudly built a cabin on Huckleberry Trail on the Skyline. He was only 16 years old and this first experience in construction served as a foundation and inspiration for a lifetime of building. Like many men of the "Greatest Generation," he enlisted in the US Navy during World War II and served on navy gun crews on merchant marine ships in the South Pacific and the Philippines. Returning after the war, he attended San Jose State where he met his wife of 62 years, Betty Jean Burrell. They were married at the Santa Barbara Mission on June 12, 1948. At San Jose State he was a founding member of the San Jose State Aqua Ski Club, one of the first college water ski clubs in the West. Joe was incredible on the water, skiing backwards on one ski well into his 50's. He took great joy in teaching his children, grandchildren and friends to water ski at Clearlake. Joe was a visionary in the home building world. He won many national awards and recognition in the U.S. and European architectural journals for his custom homes and office buildings. He was director of the National Association of Home Builders of Washington DC and past president of the Peninsula General Contractors and Builders Association. Joe can be credited with the Donohue and Giannini developments in Atherton and his truly enlightening Portola Valley Ranch, a 453 acre planned community, which blends contemporary homes with the natural geography of the landscape. Joe is survived by his five children, Karen Sanford, Mike Whelan, Betty Jo Paroli, John Whelan, Susan Killian, and their spouses, ten grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. A Rosary will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, November 7th, at the Church of the Nativity, Menlo Park. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, November 8th at 10 a.m. at the Church of the Nativity. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association, Attention: Western States Affiliate, P.O. Box 742030, Los Angeles, CA 90074-2030




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