Joseph “Joe” Michael Whalen, Jr.
November 30, 1951- June 5, 2020
Beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend Joseph “Joe” Michael Whalen Jr. peacefully entered the gates of heaven.
Joseph was born on November 30, 1951, in Natchitoches, Louisiana to Joseph and Jeanne Whalen.
He was a military brat and grew up in Guam and Denver, CO. He attended high school at East High School in Denver, CO. He served this great country as a soldier in the U.S. Army. When he finished his time in the Army he returned to his childhood home in Denver where he worked at Western Electric. He met the love of his life there and began a family. He then furthered his education at Red Rocks Community college where he received his Associates’s degree in Hydraulics. He and his family moved to his current hometown of Trinidad, CO in 1978. He led a fulfilling and happy life as a miner, a mechanic, a bus driver, a store manager, a pastor, a worship leader, a devoted husband, a caring father, a loving grandfather, and a joyous great-grandpa.
Joe was survived by his wife Bernice (Jiron), his children Jeremy (Marisol Chacon) Whalen and Chrissy Whalen, his granddaughter Samantha Whalen, his two precious great-granddaughters Nevaeh and Maliyah Jo, his brother Michael Whalen, Sisters Constance (Michael) Dighero and Kathy (Dave) Miller, numerous nieces and nephew.
Joe was preceded in death by his parents Jeanne (Erpenbach) and Joseph M Whalen, Sr., father-in-law George Jiron, mother-in-law Beatrice C Jiron (Martinez), brother Patrick Whalen, and nephew Bradley Miller.
Services to commemorate and celebrate his life will be held at a later time when all of his family and friends can gather together to remember a life well-lived.
