Obituary of Andrew Whitehead

NISKAYUNA- Andrew Duff Whitehead, 87, of Niskayuna, died peacefully with his wife at his side on July 19, 2010, following a long illness. Andrew was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island to Thomas and Sarah (Duff) Whitehead on December 26, 1922. He attended the Mt. Hermon Preparatory School and continued on to obtain his first undergraduate degree in physical chemistry in 1943 from Brown University. He later attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he obtained both a second bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1948 and a master's degree in nuclear engineering in 1955. As a young man, Andrew served as a chemist for the Eastman Kodak Corporation at the Oak Ridge, Tennessee military facility prior to his enlisting in the US Navy in 1944. After only a year as an electronics technician, Andrew was recognized for his outstanding service and abilities and commissioned as an officer in 1945. Andrew served as a shipboard electronics officer until 1955 when he joined the Navy's Nuclear Propulsion Program under the direction of Admiral Hyman Rickover. This program achieved unprecedented technological advancements and Andrew was often praised by his commanding officers for his ingenuity and creativity in solving extraordinary technical problems. In his years with the program, Andrew helped to develop the nation's first nuclear submarines. Following his assignment to the Schenectady Naval Reactors Office in 1955, Andrew worked to develop and maintain both actual and prototype nuclear propulsion rectors at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory's Kesselring Site in West Milton, New York. The first Naval vessel to use this nuclear propulsion design was the submarine SEAWOLF (SSN 575), which was commissioned in 1957. Andrew continued to serve in the nuclear propulsion program for the remainder of his Naval career, working both with many submarines and the original Naval Prototype reactor plants at the Kesselring site. These reactor plants were used to provide nuclear training to Navy personnel until the 1990s. Following his retirement as a Lieutenant Commander from the United States Navy in 1964, Andrew continued to serve as a civilian project officer at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in Niskayuna and the Kesselring site until his civilian retirement in 1980. Outside of his accomplished career, Andrew loved to bowl and was a member of several Schenectady area leagues. He also enjoyed spending time playing cards with friends, most especially bridge and poker. Andrew had a lifelong interest in antiques, most especially his beloved Belleek china. In the summers, Andrew often spent time on Cape Cod and over the years spent many weeks at the seashore with family and friends. Andrew is survived by his wife of 63 years, Alyce "Lisa" Whitehead of Niskayuna, NY; daughter Meredith Black of North Haven, Connecticut; daughter Nancy Smith and her husband, Jeffrey, of Niskayuna, NY; grandchildren Erica Black of Malta, NY, Joanna Black Robertson and her husband, Bradley, of Muncie, Indiana, and Thomas Whitehead Smith, of New York, NY; great-grandsons Tyler and Liam Robertson of Muncie, Indiana; as well as two nieces and a nephew. His sister, Jean Kelly, predeceased him. Relatives and friends are invited and may call at the Daly Funeral Home, 242 McClellan Street, Schenectady, Friday, July 23rd, from 4 to 8 P.M. Interment will be held privately at the convenience of the family in the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to the charity of one's choice. Additionally, the family would like to express their sincere thanks and appreciation to the caring staff at Ellis Hospital's A-4 cardiac, dialysis, and intensive care units.