Posted by Newspaper Transcriber on Saturday, October 21, 2006 at 13:26:09 :

Edith Whipp

Edith Whipp, who came to the Coastside in 2001 to be near her daughter, died July 24 at Three Bells of Montara. She was 98.

Mrs. Whipp was born in 1907 in Reedley, Calif., and attended a one-room school for all eight grades, said daughter Linda Donahoe of Half Moon Bay. In 1925 she moved to San Francisco, where she met baseball great Babe Ruth, and always regretted not getting an autograph, said her daughter.

She married her husband, Joseph Whipp, in 1933. At first, she kept her marriage a secret for fear of losing her job in times when employers shied away from hiring married women. In 1943 she came to San Mateo County, where she worked for many years for the county as a clerk and secretary, and volunteered for Catholic Social Services. She lived in Redwood City until moving to the coast.

Mrs. Whipp loved to travel and took many trips to Europe. Besides Spain and France, other favorite destinations were Hawaii, Palm Springs, and Death Valley.

She also loved music, wine and family, said her daughter, and kept her sense of humor into later years. Her daughter recalls how Mrs. Whipp took her to hear the Beatles at then-Candlestick Park in 1966 and Elvis Presley in Oakland, and introduced her to musical theater.

"She was a real neat lady," Donahoe recalled. "She had a great life. At the end, she said she was not in pain, and was not unhappy."

Mrs. Whipp is preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Whipp, who died in 1965. She is survived by her sons and their wives, Richard and Hazel Whipp of Half Moon Bay and Joe and Nancy Whipp of Redondo Beach, daughter Linda Donahoe of Half Moon Bay, 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

A funeral Mass was celebrated at Our Lady of the Pillar Catholic Church on Monday, followed by interment at Holy Cross Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Catholic Social Services of San Mateo County.

Half Moon Bay Review and Pescadero Pebble, Wednesday, August 2, 2006