Dan Whitley's Home Page

I was born in Washington, D.C. in 1945 toward the end of World War II. My father was a Naval officer stationed at the time in Washington; we lived in Northern Virginia. I take no credit for the conclusion of the war, nor for the difficulties of the world since then. However, I have contributed my share of difficulties since my birth, and for those I must take responsibility. One of my very favorite newspapers, The Washington Post , is also my original hometown newspaper. The Washington Post beats the New York Times hands down because it has comics!!!

My parents were from North Carolina , and it is there that I grew up, except for first and second grade years which were spent in Alexandria, Virginia when my father was recalled to Naval duty during the Korean War. As with WWII, so with Korea - I had little to do with the cessation of hostilities there.

My father, D.P. Whitley, Jr., passed away in October, 1993 in High Point. My mother Sally, Sally Whitley , moved to the Atlanta, Georgia area in the fall of 1998, and died from Alzheimer's Disease in Decatur, Georgia on July 29, 1999 . My mother's mother was Annie Maude Benbow Edgerton.

My sister Ann is married to Doug Singleton, and they live in Dahlonega, Georgia. Ann has a son Paul and Doug has a daughter Laura. Ann is a media specialist, almost retied. She plays fiddle and sings with a number of groups. Doug also plays with Ann in some of the groups and is a professional dance caller . They travel all over the Southeast with their music and dancing. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the most comprehensive newspaper in the Atlanta area.

My hometown is High Point , North Carolina, known for furniture-making and hosiery. High Point is in Guilford County , the county seat being Greensboro . Another nearby city is Winston-Salem . I was brought up in the Religious Society of Friends, my home church being High Point Friends Meeting, which is part of North Carolina Yearly Meeting (FUM). For local news coverage try The High Point Enterprise or the Greensboro News & Record and the Winston-Salem Journal .

I have been away from High Point since 1967, and the city has changed enormously since then. Perhaps one of the reasons is that most New Yorkers have moved to North Carolina! However, having lived in New York State for over thirty years, I have very little desire to leave. A beautiful state with wonderful people – excluding the New York State government, taxes and snow!

I graduated from Guilford College , after having spent my freshman year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . I attended the Earlham School of Religion . Both Guilford and Earlham are Quaker schools.

Since leaving North Carolina, I have worked among Friends in Indiana , Western , Baltimore and New York Yearly Meetings. I have worked with local, national and international Friends groups, such as the American Friends Service Committee and the Friends Committee on National Legislation . My first paid Quaker position was as a Sunday School teacher with First Friends Meeting in Richmond, Indiana in 1967. In 1982 I became director of Powell House, the retreat center of New York Yearly Meeting.

In 1986 I left Powell House and came to the Clintondale Friends Church, now called the Clintondale Friends Christian Church in Clintondale, New York. I have served as CFCC’s pastor since then. Clintondale Friends is an independent Friends church, having withdrawn from New York Yearly Meeting in May of 1995. My ordination credentials were originally with the Religious Society of Friends, then were with Elim Fellowship. In 2006 I left Elim and for three years my credentials were with the Clintondale Friends Christian Church. In 2009 I returned to Elim. I value every Christian group I have been with, learning valuable lessons from each.

I am married to Cheryl, who is an assistant professor of social work at Marist College in Poughkeepsie.

We have a son named Daniel (Dan, Danny) who is a 2005 graduate from Guilford College with a B.A. in English. After serving for three years in Haiti on staff at an orphanage, Danny returned home in February 2009. He is currently studying at SUNY-New Paltz, and working in the area for an organization that helps recruit doctors into underserved areas and for an local apple orchard in marketing. Dan is a member of the Clintondale Fire Department and an EMT.

We have a cat named Heidi.

Cheryl and I live in Clintondale which is near Poughkeepsie, NY, equidistant from New York City and Albany. Check out the church web page to find us.) Three newspapers in our area are the Daily Freeman (Kingston), the Poughkeepsie Journal (Poughkeepsie) and the Times Herald-Record (Middletown.)

The Highland Public Library has a branch at the church, housed in the 1811 Meetinghouse. It is a part of the Mid-Hudson Library System .

Cheryl and I are part of the Tres Dias community. We highly recommend Tres Dias for those who are seeking renewal in their walk with the Lord Jesus Christ and a greater understanding of their place in his church.

My hobbies include hunting, shooting, fishing and playing the guitar and the trumpet. My constant search is for time to spend with my hobbies. My favorite guitar is the Martin. One of the best guitar players I know of is Django Reinhardt. For musical supplies I shop at Imperial Guitar and Soundworks in Newburgh, NY. Check them out!

One of the things that I try to avoid in my ministry is politics. For years I was rabid about political matters, but have come to see that the only thing that will save our nation and the world is a revival of the Holy Spirit. However, it is important for us to be involved as citizens, and voting is one of the most important of our obligations of citizenship.

I am a member of the National Rifle Association. In my opinion it is one of the best organizations for protecting and preserving freedom in our nation.

One of the things that take up my time, in addition to the church, is the Clintondale Fire District and Fire Department. When I came to Clintondale I was told that as pastor of the Friends Church, I was automatically the chaplain for the local volunteer fire department. Along the way I served as Treasurer for the Fire District, then was elected a Fire Commissioner, and served two five-year terms, stepping down after ten years on December 31, 2004. I was reappointed August 8, 2007 to fill a vacancy on the Commission, and ran in the fall to fill out the full term. I joined the Clintondale Fire Department in 1996 as a member of the fire police squad. Here I am with Deputy Chief Rick Raffa at a medical call.

Finally, you can find me on Facebook.

for Fire, Rescue, EMS & Safety

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You may e-mail me at Dan Whitley Return to Home Page .