Obituaries

Rev. Joseph B. Whittel

August 23, 1938 - December 8, 2017

Burial Date December 14, 2017

WHITTEL: Rev. Joseph B. Whittel, 79, of Waterford and formerly of West Hartford, Pastor of St. Paul Church in Waterford, was called to eternal life with the Lord, on Friday December 8, 2017. He was born on August 23, 1938 in Philadelphia, PA. He was the son of the late Joseph and Anne (Heagney) Whittel. He was united in marriage to Eileen Kassebart on May 14, 1960 at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Queens, NY, who predeceased him on March 3, 1997. Prior to entering the priesthood, he worked for The Hartford Insurance Company, retiring after many years. Father Whittel was ordained a Deacon in 1979 in the Archdiocese of Hartford where he served at St. Peter Claver and Sacred Heart Parishes. He later studied for the priesthood at Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, MA where he earned a Master of Divinity Degree. Father Whittel was ordained to the priesthood September 13, 2003 by The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich at the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Norwich. He first served as Parochial Vicar at St. Patrick Cathedral Parish, Norwich. He also served at: St. Mark Church in Westbrook, as Pastor of St. Mary in Jewett City and Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Quaker Hill, where his pastoral role would later expand to include St. John the Evangelist in Uncasville and Our Lady of Lakes in Oakdale. In 2012, Father Whittel was appointed Pastor of St. Paul in Waterford. In addition to his parochial assignments, Father Whittel was appointed as diocesan Vicar for Ministries in 2006. Father Whittel is survived by his four children, Pat Whittel, Joseph and his wife Kathryn Whittel, Karen and her husband Peter Lavoie, John and his wife Colleen Whittel; his eight grandchildren, Patrick, Kaelea and her husband Kevin, Margaret, Alexander, Benjamin, Austin, Liam, Eileen and a great grandson, Theodore; his brother, John and wife Julianne Whittel, and sister in-law, Mary Lou Cudahy and her husband Brian. He was also predeceased by a sister, Elizabeth Whittel. Father Whittel’s body will be received at St. Paul Church, 170 Rope Ferry Road, Waterford, CT at 3:00pm on Wednesday, December 13. Guests will be received in the Church from 3:30 to 6:45pm, followed by a Parish Mass which will begin at 7:00pm. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, December 14 at 10:00am at St. Paul Church. A reception will be held in the church hall immediately following the Funeral Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Fr. Joseph Whittel Memorial Fund, Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary, 558 South Avenue, Weston, MA, 02493. Committal Services will take place on Friday at 11 am in Fairview Cemetery, West Hartfrod.