Edmund B. Whitaker, Jr.

Calling hours will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 23, 2026, at the Joseph V. Leahy Funeral Home, 27 Smith Avenue, Kingston, N.Y. American Legion Post 124 will hold their ritual at 7 p.m.

A procession will form at the funeral home Friday, July 24, 2026, at 10 a.m. and proceed to the Ulster County Veterans section of New Paltz Rural Cemetery for services and military honors.

MARLBORO

EDMUND B. WHITAKER, JR.

Edmund B. Whitaker, Jr., a devoted father, grandfather, Marine Corps veteran, and lifelong outdoorsman, died at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie on Thursday, July 16, 2026, leaving behind a legacy carried forward by the family he loved. He was 76 years old and a resident of Hideaway Lane, Marlboro, N.Y., formerly of Stephan Street, Kingston, N.Y.

Born in Saugerties, N.Y., on March 24, 1950, to the late Edmund B. Whitaker Sr. and Lorraine E. (Malone) Whitaker, Ed built a life defined by service and steadiness — to his country, his family, and his community.

A 1968 graduate of Saugerties High School, Ed answered his country’s call and served as a corporal in the United States Marine Corps from September 1968 to September 1970, stationed in California during the Vietnam War. His commitment to fellow veterans continued for decades as a member of Viebey-Sutton Post 124, American Legion, of Marlboro, and previously Post 150 in Kingston.

Ed went on to earn an associate degree in liberal arts from Ulster County Community College, balancing his education with a steady, hardworking career — first with IBM, and later with Dick’s Sporting Goods, from which he retired.

Outside of work, Ed found peace in the outdoors. As an avid hunter, fisherman, and bird watcher, he spent countless hours in the woods and waters he loved, and remained a lifetime member of the Saugerties Fish and Game Club.

Above all, Ed cherished his family. He is survived by his children, Jodi Montaperto and her husband Matteo (Marlboro), Ryan Whitaker (Kingston), and Jeri Whitaker (Schenectady); his grandchildren, Angelo Rodriguez, Matteo Montaperto Jr., Savannah Whitaker, and Jeffery Whitaker, who carry his legacy forward; his sister, Judith Mletzko; and several nieces and nephews. Rounding out his family were his three furry grandchildren — Lucy, JohnE, and Fifi — who were just as loved.

His wife of 49 years, Nancy Lee Whitaker, died in July 2024. He was also predeceased by three brothers, Carlton, Leonard, and William Whitaker. Ed and Nancy’s love, and the family they built together, remain his enduring legacy.