Paul Joseph Whealan, a lifelong resident of Eastchester, passed away on November 3, 2021, of natural causes. Paul was born on December 29, 1965, the fourth child of Mary Virginia O'Connor Whealan and William Michael Whealan, Jr., both of whom passed away in 2020. Paul grew up in a close family among siblings and cousins climbing trees, playing stick ball, and celebrating the 4th of July with fireworks. He attended Immaculate Conception School for grammar school with his siblings, and then attended Stepanic High School with his two elder brothers. Paul excelled at science and math, and went on to earn a B.S. in Civil Engineering at Manhattan College.

Paul was an accomplished and dedicated federal employee who worked at various offices of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for over 30 years. A big portion of the service was with the FAA Eastern Region Tech Ops group in New York responsible for the safety and efficiency in the National Airspace System (NAS) by effectively managing air navigation services and infrastructure. One of Paul’s proudest accomplishments was to work on the Hagerstown Regional Airport’s Runway 9-27 safety area compliance and extension project in the mid 2000’s. Hagerstown airport is unique due to its proximity to Camp David, but the runway length and instrumentation was not adequate to support larger Air Force One aircraft such as Boeing 757 and 747. This project included extension of the airport’s primary runway to 7,000 feet and establishment of the new ILS approaches to primarily support the Presidential fleet as well as larger commercial aircraft. The coolest thing about this project is that the runway and taxiway was extended over US Route 11 with overpasses designed to carry a million pound aircraft. Paul had a critical role in making sure that all systems are designed, installed and commissioned to support the delicate missions. He would regularly visit airports, and current and proposed sites to observe construction progress and perform safety inspections, earning Outstanding Achievement Awards and Letters of Achievement throughout his career. Following a brief stint at the FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C.,Paul returned back to his home base in NY about 10 years ago to work in the FAA NY Airports District office.. In the ADO role, Paul was responsible for significant airfield infrastructure improvements including runways, taxiways, aprons, terminal buildings, aircraft rescue and fire fighting facilities at Westchester County Airport, Long Island MacArthur Airport, Republic Airport, Gabreski Airport and many others.

Paul played TYA baseball as a youth, and thoroughly enjoyed celebrating all New York sports teams, especially his beloved New York Rangers. He was a gifted artisan who enjoyed working on cars, making improvements to the family homestead, and entertaining family barbecues. He was exceptionally devoted to his parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews, the very best uncle imaginable who cheered at every sporting event and recital, and who held family above all else. He was a selfless person who showed up, and gave his time and energy to whoever was in need. Paul valued his relationships with the local police and fire departments, with shopkeepers, and with craftsmen who call Eastchester home. He could hardly navigate the town he loved without running into a familiar face. Paul was loved by all and will be forever missed by the family members and friends who Paul always put first, before himself, even if at his own expense. He was truly the most selfless person....always doing more for others than for himself. He is survived by his brothers, David (Maria) and John (Elysa), his sisters, Bernadette and Regina (Peter), his nieces and nephews, Benjamin, Diana, Julia, Eamon, Madeline, Liam, and Andrew, his uncle, Thomas O'Connor, and many cousins. The family will receive visitors on Friday, November 19th, from 4 PM to 8 PM, at Westchester Funeral Home, 190 Main Street, Eastchester. A Mass of the Eucharist will be offered on Saturday, November 20th, at 10:30 AM, at Immaculate Conception Church, 53 Winterhill Road, Tuckahoe, followed by interment at Holy Mount Cemetery, Cemetery Lane, Eastchester. Masks are required for all services.

Donations in Paul’s honor can be made to Eastchester EMS Volunteer Ambulance Corps, https://www.eastchesterems.com/donate.