More detail on this person: April 14, 1939 -
July 21, 2015 Keith Whittingslow, beloved husband
of Pat Whittingslow, died peacefully at Straub
Clinic & Hospital in Honolulu, HI on July 21.
Keith is survived by his wife Pat of Honolulu;
sister-in-law Sharon Simpson and her husband
Gary Simpson of Atherton, CA; nephew Clay
Simpson and wife Angela, and grandnephews
Tanner and Grant Simpson of CO.
Keith was born in Hyde, Cheshire, U.K. the only
child of Sydney and Gertrude Whittingslow. The
family immigrated to the US in 1947, settling in
San Francisco.
A lifelong scholar and author, Keith's academic
passions were philosophy, poetry and
interdisciplinary consciousness. He earned a
Doctorate in Podiatric Medicine in 1963 from the
California College of Podiatry in SF and went on
to earn a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary
Consciousness Studies in 1987 from John F.
Kennedy University in Orinda, CA. He continued to
pursue advanced independent studies at the
California Institute of Integral Studies and the
University of California Berkeley. He was a
prolific author in poetry and prose, including his
The Fine Structure Constant: Philosophical
Explorations via A Poetics of Consciousness;
Keith was also a highly decorated U.S. Army
Captain, serving active duty as Aviator, Medical
Rescue and Air Cavalry Helicopter Operations with
the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. Among the
many military honors he received were
Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Army
Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster,
Combat Air Medal, and the National Defense
Service Medal.
Following his military service, Keith continued
his career in the aviation industry working for
The Boeing Company, American Eurocopter Corp.,
and MBB Helicopter Corporation. Keith spent nearly
40 years in aviation eventually becoming President
of his own company, VerTrans Aviation Consulting,
Inc.
Sparked by over 30 years as a member of the San
Francisco Olympic Club "Striders", Keith had a
passion for running, competing in marathons and
ultra marathons across the U. S. including the
Western States 100-Mile Race, the Lake Tahoe
73-Mile Race, the Boston, Honolulu and San
Francisco Marathons. He and Pat especially loved
the Dipsea Race.
In Keith's memory, contributions may be sent to
the Straub Foundation, Straub Clinic & Hospital,
Attn: Nina Mullally, 888 S. King Street, Honolulu,
HI 96813
Published in San Francisco Chronicle on Aug. 2,
2015
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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