Obituary: Dr. George 'Doc' Whitney, 94, Orange Icon

Dr. George D. "Doc" Whitney was many different things to different people:

A veterinarian and herpetologist. A founding member of The Paugusset Club of Orange. A Rotarian. A Democratic Town Committee member. A World War II veteran. An avid runner even into his 90's.

The list goes on and on, but perhaps there is one thing that "Doc" was to everyone: an inspiration.

And the man who made Orange his home for so many years, and who gave back in so many ways, has passed away.

Dr. Whitney died at home on Feb. 21, 2013, in Brattleboro, Vt.

Born Dec. 19, 1918, Whitney served in World War II and then attended Auburn University in Alabama. He became a veterinarian at the same time as his father, Dr. Leon F. Whitney, according to an obituary on Legacy.com that was published in the New Haven Register. The father-son duo opened the Whitney Veterinary Clinic, which was located in Orange for 50 years.

"He'll be remembered by many for several of his exhibits at the Annual Orange Country Fair, the first of which was the Reptile Tent. Dr. Whitney's interests were always diverse. He was a gardener, a writer, a political activist, a scientific thinker and an educator," the obituary states.

It continues:

"Keeping up with changing times he even became a blogger, but one of his greatest joys since relocating has been growing giant dahlias and once a week he'd cut a huge bouquet and walk a mile to town, handing one to each woman he passed. He left this life with one major goal unmet that he'd want mentioned and that was to GET CORPORATE MONEY OUT OF POLITICS. He believed this to be the greatest threat to our democracy."

A celebration of Dr. Whitney's life is planned for the Spring in Orange. To read the full obituary and obtain information about donations, click here.

Please feel free to share your condolences and fond memories of "Doc" in the comments below.