Peter M. Whelan, Jr.

Our hearts are broken in a million pieces making this announcement, Peter M. Whelan, Jr. passed away suddenly at his home in Troy on Sunday, January 19, 2025.

He was born and raised in Troy, graduated from Troy High School. The son of the late Peter M. Whelan, Sr and Larraine (Jack) Downes. The loving father of Peter M. Whelan, III and Nicole (Andrew) Ayotte, his two sisters, Michele Whelan (Dan Brown) and Lisa Gatus, pre-deceased by his brother Michael F. Whelan and nephew Michael A. Whelan. Peter's grandchildren, the absolute joys of his life are Emma, Christian and Gabrielle Whelan, Dominick Novak, Ethan and Gracelynn Ayotte.  Friend and ex-wife Ellen (Scott) Chandler.  Niece, Erica Whelan and nephews Ryan and Bailey Gatus.  His loving Aunt Diane Colvin and several cousins.

Peter will be missed by many for his kind nature, quick wit and the ability to make people laugh. Peter often made his mother wet her pants from laughing so hard.  There are many of you reading this that  one time or another may have been the recipient of one of Peter’s practical jokes. Some have learned the hard way to never ever leave your cell phone unattended in his presence.  Which would result in  having a funny picture or post on Facebook with your name attached to it.

Peter loved his family unconditionally and his grandchildren were the lights of his life. He attended every school play, dance recital, and sporting event. Peter would joke with their parents that he was taking the kids on a summer school educational math lesson at the Saratoga Race Track where he was a pretty darn good handicapper!

Peter was a Boy Scout earning the highest honor of Eagle Scout as a teenager. After working at his grandparents’ flower shop as a child, he opened his own shop.  Peter had an extraordinary and creative talent for floral design and won many awards over the years.

For the past decade he was the manager for Dunkin, Slingerlands, NY.  Peter so enjoyed his interactions with his crew,  regular customers while exchanging stories and jokes. A special thank you to Evo Garcia and the management team for all their support.

Peter was a longtime collector of The Wizard of Oz memorabilia and a lover of late night TV shows and bingo. He was an avid Red Sox fan where there was a family friendly feud with his sisters who are die hard NY Yankee fans.

Peter was a lifetime member of the Masons.

The family would like to thank the Troy Police and Fire Department for their kindness during this very difficult time.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Peter M. Whelan, Jr., please visit our floral store.