Roger L. Whiteley, 95, Formerly of Hellertown (Obituary Brought to You by Heintzelman Funeral Home)
Roger L. Whiteley (1930 – 2026)
Roger L. Whiteley, 95, formerly of Hellertown, passed away Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at Kirkland Village, Bethlehem. He was the beloved husband of the late Marilyn V. Whiteley for 72 years. Roger was born in Yardville, N.J., on Jan. 30, 1930, to the late Clifford J. and Verna E. (Archer) Whiteley. Roger was a 1947 graduate of Hamilton High School and a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he earned a BS degree in Civil Engineering (1952) and MS degree in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (1953). After beginning his career in the prestigious Loop Program at Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1953, he was employed in the Research Department for 30 years, rising to Assistant Director of Research before becoming Vice President of Production Technology in 1982. He retired in 1984. After leaving Bethlehem Steel, he was Associate Director of Innovation Management Studies at Lehigh University until 1998. During his professional years, he served on several government committees and was the recipient of several awards for papers he had authored. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem since 1954, where he had served as a Deacon and President of the Board of Trustees. He was a member of the Bethlehem Rotary Club, serving as a board member and club secretary. He was an avid golfer and a long-time skier. He introduced his wife and children to skiing during annual family trips to Stowe, Vt., when the children were young. He was still skiing well into his seventies. He had been a member of Saucon Valley Country Club. His hobby was genealogy, and he had traced the Whiteley family lineage as far back as the 14th century.
SURVIVORS
Children: Jon (Denise) Whiteley of Denver, Colo., Joanne (John) Burtner of Sylva, N.C., Jeffrey (Denice) Whiteley of Perkasie; son-in-law: Richard McVoy of Keene, N.H.; six grandchildren: Mary, Rachel, Jonathan, Andrew, Brittany, Jaime; and three great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter: Joy W. Ackerman (Richard McVoy); and brothers: Harold E. and Donald P. Whiteley.
SERVICES
A service will be held in the Auditorium at 3000 Kirkland Village on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. Online condolences may be offered Connellfuneral.com.
CONTRIBUTIONS
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Luke’s Hospice.
