Loving Her Family: This is the way Thelma Whitney lived her life, prioritizing her children and grandchildren above all else

She was loved for her sense of humor and her strength. Her cooking prowess – especially every Thanksgiving – was completely unmatched as well. Oh yeah, she was also her family’s biggest supporter and encourager, and her family just loved Thelma Whitney so much.

“What I most loved about Mom was her sense of humor, and how amazing her intuition was about everything,” Thelma’s daughter Julie said. “It was like a superpower. It served as such a strength and resilience for her and her kids growing up. She was the most generous of spirit, heart, and pocketbook always! She possessed an incredible ability to see humor in all things.”

Thelma always had a smile on her face, and that was just one of the many wonderful things that made her who she was. Beyond her positivity, she was a hard worker who put her family first in every situation. She was always talking with her loved ones and asking about their days, making countless memories and an endless impact every step of the way.

“Everyone who met Bada loved her,” Thelma’s grandson Daniel said. “She had the best sense of humor, and was a little bit of a firecracker from time to time. You were guaranteed to have a smile and a laugh if you were with her! She tried to find the best in everything! She was the person that you couldn’t wait to tell your news to! I miss that more than anything. Good or bad, she was the first person I wanted to call because she was the biggest supporter of anything and everything we cared about!”

The thing about Thelma is she was as genuine as they come. She didn’t just tell her kids and grandkids she loved them; she showed them by showering them with complete compassion.

She also worked hard to provide for her family no matter what. As a single mother of four, Thelma brought a strong work ethic to every place of employment, doing everything she could to provide for her kids. She refused to miss out on their lives either, having such a tremendous balance of providing for them monetarily and by being present.

“I think that Bada’s legacy is her four children and her grandchildren,” Julie said. “She was a fierce protector of her family, who meant so much to her.”

For Thelma, there was nothing more important than her family. She had her morals and values in check, and she made sure there were countless memories and memorable moments shared along the way.

“As kids, we would all save up our coins for weeks in preparation for the annual summer trip to Hampton Beach to spend at the arcade… mainly on Skee-ball!,” Julie exclaimed.

Not only was this a fun memory her kids did not take for granted or forget, but it showed the importance of saving money and being patient, showing that Thelma could turn anything into a teachable moment.

She would also do anything to have fun with her kids too. She was very hands-on as the kids were growing up, and that is something they cherished.

“Mom would play any game we wanted, even though she was no doubt bone tired. Even Twister! She was at all of the sporting events that she could attend, and even managed to scrape up enough money to buy us all lace up ski boots, so that we could go to Mount Tom in the winters,” Julie said.

Thelma sacrificed everything to make her children happy, and they are super grateful for this fact. They are also grateful they can look back on the legacy their mother left behind and realize she is making an impact to this very day. Not only do they still look up to her, but the grandkids do too, realizing she lived such a great life.

“Thelma was talented at so much! She was an avid gardener. She could always be found in the garden on a sunny day! She was an incredible cook. I have endless memories of her in the kitchen making everything from scratch,” Daniel said. “She made a Thanksgiving gravy that to this day cannot be replicated. She loved fashion and shopping! In her quiet time, Bada could always be found cuddled up with a good book!”

When you think of people who lived life the right way, you think of Thelma Whitney. When you think of people who had their priorities straight, you think of Thelma Whitney. When you think of people whose family will be impacted by her legacy for generations, you think of Thelma Whitney.

Long story short, the impact of Thelma Whitney is a big one. She lived an unforgettable life, and her family and many others appreciate everything about her.

“Thelma was the strongest woman that I’ve ever known. She endured endless challenges in her early years as a single mother. In order to rent a three-bedroom house in 1965, she lied to the landlord saying that her husband was away in the military. They didn’t have much money at all, but her kids ‘never felt poor, knowing how hard she worked and how much she cared for them.’” – Daniel