Obituary of Frances Pornes Whitman

Frances Pornes Whitman, beloved wife of the late Morton R. Whitman, died at the age of 91 on July 8, 2011, at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Frances grew up in Chicago. In 1953, she moved with her young family to Skokie, IL and in 1957 to Glencoe, IL. Frances was active in Glencoe's League of Women Voters, before going back to school to study accounting at Northwestern University. She became a Certified Public Accountant at a time when there were few women in that profession, working for Frost, Ruttenberg & Rothblatt. In 1971 her husband, Morton R. Whitman, moved Northlake Engineering, the company he and his partner, Lloyd Shore, had begun decades before, to Antioch, IL. Following the sale of the company in 1984 and the death of her husband in 1985, Frances settled in Northfield, IL. There she served as director and coordinator of volunteers at the North Shore Senior Center, where she and her staff helped senior citizens with Medicare issues. Seven years ago, she left the North Shore to live near her daughter Margaret (Peggy) and Robert Blair of Rockville, Maryland. She resided at the Classic Residence in Chevy Chase, MD, where she made many friends and was elected to the Residents Committee where she served as chair of housekeeping. Another daughter, Ellen Whitman, lives with her husband Scott Cremer in Concord, Massachusetts. Frances was loved and admired by her three grandchildren: Matthew and David Blair, and Aurora (Rori) Cremer. She will also be missed by the grandchildren of the late Sylvan Abbot, a close friend and companion during her years in Northfield. A private cremation was held, with a memorial ceremony to be held at a later date. Memorial contributions in Frances Whitman's name may be made to the National Stroke Association, 9707 E. Easter Lane, Suite B, Centennial, CO 80122.