Michael Paul Whittingham
Michael Paul Whittingham of Stamford passed away peacefully on the 3rd of October 2020 at Greenwich Hospital. He was born in New York City on the 21st of January, 1956 to the late Cecil Anthony and Jean Hyacinth Whittingham. He graduated from Amherst College in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and later earned a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology.
Michael spent over a decade of his professional life in the field of education. His career began as a tutor for high school students while he pursued a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. Helping students achieve their academic potential was very fulfilling to Michael and led him into the field of college admissions. The success that he had as a recruiter for Fairfield University resulted in the return to his alma mater, Amherst College, to serve as Associate Dean of Admissions. It was during his transition to Amherst that he met and then married his wife, Terran, who also worked in the field of college admissions.
The gratification that came with recruiting and mentoring students took Michael beyond the walls of academia and into the world of finance. He was hired by the Sponsors for Educational Opportunities Program (SEO) to enhance the Wall Street’s summer internship recruitment program for college students of color. By the end of his tenure, he had successfully expanded the outreach of this program.
Michael went into semi-retirement after his stint with SEO. This allowed him to spend more time raising his son, Paul, and to do various kinds of service for communities in Fairfield County. In addition to his family’s philanthropic contributions, Michael was an active member of First United Methodist Church of Greenwich, and educated families about the college admission process.
Giving back was so important to Michael. He wanted to be thought of as an honest and generous person with integrity. He believed that we are all here to contribute to others and make the world better for the next generation.
Thank you, Michael. Your kind, gentle, good-hearted soul will be missed.
Michael is survived by his devoted wife of thirty-one years, Terran Gregory Whittingham of Stamford, his son Paul Anthony Whittingham of Stamford, as well as his brother, Andrew John Whittingham and his wife Robyn Whittingham of Stamford and his nephew, Adam John Whittingham of Stamford.
Family and friends may call at the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Avenue, Stamford on Thursday, the 15th of October, 2020 from 5:00-9:00 p.m. A funeral service will be celebrated on Friday, the 16th of October, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 42 Cross Road, Stamford.
The funeral service will be live streamed on both
www.fumcstamford.org under “Streaming” and https://m. facebook.com/FUMCStamford/
Interment will follow at Long Ridge Union Cemetery, Stamford.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Michael’s memory to The American Cancer Society.
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com