Capt. Daniel Patrick Whalen's Obituary
Capt. Daniel Patrick Whalen (U.S. Navy Retired) passed away on November 18, 2025 at the age of 81 after a long and courageous battle with dementia.
Born in Evanston, Illinois, Dan was the youngest child of James Joseph and Dorothy Warner Whalen. He was predeceased by his parents; stepmother Alice; brothers Patrick (infant) and James Warner; and sister Mary Josephine.
He graduated from Campion High School in Prairie du Chene, Wisconsin, and graduated from Loyola College in Baltimore where he met his wife Maureen Hanlon. After graduating in 1966, Dan attended AOCS in Pensacola, FL. Dan and Maureen were married there in 1967, the same year he was commissioned as a naval officer - a calling he would proudly fulfill for the next 27 years.
A decorated Naval Aviator, Dan flew under the call sign “Pops,” a nickname he earned from his squadron thanks to his five children at home. Dan flew in the VAW community piloting both E1-B Tracers and his beloved E2-C Hawkeye. His service included deployments aboard the USS Shangri-La, USS Kitty Hawk, USS Enterprise, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, and, his favorite, the USS John F. Kennedy. Dan concluded his career with a final tour at the Pentagon, retiring in August 1993.
After a stroke in 1999, Dan’s post service career was cut short, and in 2000 he and Maureen moved to Leesburg, Virginia, to be near their eldest son and his growing family.
Dan was a devout Catholic and longtime member of the church choir. He was also an active member of The Ancient Order of Hibernians, Colonel Thomas J. Cunningham Jr. Division, and a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus Council #12791.
He is survived by wife of 58 years, Maureen (née Hanlon), sons James (Carrie), John (Courtney), and Daniel (Molly), daughters Julie Whalen, and Laura Alloway (Christopher). He is also survived by grandchildren: Bridget, Kelly, Paige, Lilly, Aislinn, Sarah McDonald (Barrett), Caroline, Griffin, Katherine, Declan, Luke, Mairin, Ryan, Maureen, Luciana, Milena, and Nino.
The family will receive visitors beginning at 11 AM on November 29, 2025, before Mass at 12:00 PM at St. John the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Leesburg, VA. Interment will take place at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dan's name to Agape Pregnancy Center in Leesburg or to the St. Edmund Campion Catholic Church Building Fund, PO Box 1369, Flat Rock, NC 28731.
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