Obituary: Robert Whitney Wimble
April 13, 1933 – October 22, 2023
November 5, 2023
Robert Whitney Wimble, 1933-2023. Courtesy photo
Robert W. Wimble, 90, passed from this life into the nearer presence of Christ on Sunday, October 22, 2023, at Garnette Gardens in Redwood Falls, Minnesota. Friends may call at Perkins-Parker Funeral Home in Waterbury on Wednesday, Nov. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. The funeral will take place at Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 46 Warner Road in Barre on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Mountain View Cemetery in Moretown. To send condolences online please visit perkinsparker.com.
Born in Burlington on April 13, 1933, to Ralph and Mertie (Whitney) Wimble, Robert first lived and attended school in Moretown village, later moving to Moretown Common after the purchase of the family dairy farm. For high school he attended the Mount Herman School in Northfield, Massachusetts, graduating in 1951. As a young adult he worked with his father on the farm, but also sang in the evenings with the Ambassadors, a local dance band. In 1960 he married Helen Abrahamson who had moved from New York to serve as a rural church worker with several local Methodist congregations. Two children, Carol and Carl, were born to them. During those years the family was active in the Moretown United Methodist Church. Robert and Helen were frequently asked to sing for weddings, funerals, and community events. Helen passed away in 1990.
Robert later became a member of Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Barre, and in 1994 he married Rhoda Allen, who also became an active member of that church. For several years they lived on the Wimble farm, then relocated to Duxbury.
After retiring from farm work, Robert pursued his longtime interests in family and regional history. He and Rhoda attended meetings of the Moretown and Duxbury Historical Societies. Robert was known for the poems he would write to honor friends and neighbors on their birthdays and other special occasions. Robert and Rhoda enjoyed their many car trips to visit family or friends elsewhere in Vermont or New England. In 2021 Robert and Rhoda moved to Minnesota, to be near two of their granddaughters. Robert’s collection of binders containing family photos, articles, vintage postcards, and his genealogical and historical research, moved with them.
Robert is survived by his daughter Carol Webber (Rev. Jay) of Princeton, Minnesota; son Carl Wimble (Jamie) of Moretown; stepson Pat Notarnicola Jr. (Kathy) of Trumbull, Connecticut; and stepdaughter Lisa Mathis (Chuck) of Coconut Creek, Florida; grandchildren Rev. Paul (Marta) Webber, Sarah (Matthias) Leyrer, Catharine (Rev. Andrew) Soule, and Olivia Wimble; step-granddaughter Eryca Lopez; 14 great-grandchildren; two step great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife Helen, and by his second wife Rhoda who passed away earlier this year.
The family is grateful to CentraCare Redwood Hospice and the Garnette Gardens Memory Care Unit staff for the phenomenal care provided during these past few months to both Robert and Rhoda. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 46 Warner Road, Barre, VT 05641.