Obituary of Richard Healy Whiston
Richard “Dick” Healy Whiston
September 27, 1942 – April 20, 2025
Richard “Dick” Healy Whiston, of Castleton, NY, beloved husband, father, brother, teacher, and friend, passed away peacefully on April 20, 2025 after living with Alzheimer’s for many years.
Born in Kingston, New York, on September 27, 1942, Dick was the son of Richard and Marion (Healy) Whiston. He grew up in Kingston and graduated from Kingston High School and SUNY New Paltz, laying the foundation for a lifetime dedicated to learning and teaching.
Dick served as an Associate Professor at Hudson Valley Community College, where he taught statistics, money and banking, and business math. His love of teaching extended well beyond the classroom. After retiring from HVCC, he followed his lifelong passion for skiing to Vail, Colorado, where he taught skiing full-time and spent summers driving the Town of Vail bus.
Skiing was woven into the fabric of Dick’s life. His love for the sport began in high school at Highmount and led to over 60 years of teaching at Belleayre, Windham, Highmount, and Vail. In February of 1965 Dick became a Certified Teacher of the U.S. Eastern Amateur Ski Association (pre-cursor to PSIA) alongside his father-in-law, Corrado “Skeech” Goffredi. His leadership helped shape the future of ski instruction through his roles as a PSIA Eastern Division board treasurer, as an examiner and board member of ASIA, and as a mentor and trainer to many aspiring instructors. He was very honored to be able to work with Gwen Allard, to help her establish the PSIA-Eastern Foundation, ensuring access to ski education for generations to come. Dick’s passion for teaching skiing reached students and instructors across the country, from the Catskills to the Victor Constant Ski Area at West Point to small ski areas in the Poconos and West Virginia to big resorts in the Rocky Mountains.
Beyond teaching, Dick had a deep love for cars and enjoyed driving and telling stories of all his cars over the years — including his Saab Monte Carlo, multiple VWs, BMW 2002, Corvette, Triumph TR3, and his yellow Miata. He loved tinkering in the garage and attending races with his daughter, Jenifer, including the Grand Prix in Denver and the Indianapolis 500.
Dick found peace in nature — camping with his family in Acadia National Park, the islands of Lake George, and Cape Cod, canoeing with his brother-in-law Kevin on the Fulton Lake Chain, hiking up and skiing down Tuckerman Ravine with his friend Ned, and backpacking the Adirondacks with his father. At home, he worked on many house projects and renovations that he took great pride in. Music was another constant in his life, and he could often be found in the evenings relaxing by playing folk music on his guitar, with a glass of scotch or red wine.
Above all, Dick treasured time with his family. He is survived by his loving wife, Cathy (Goffredi) Whiston; his daughter, Jenifer Whiston; his brother, Robert “Bob” (Judy) Whiston; his brothers- and sisters-in-laws, Gary and Sally (Goffredi) Mulligan, Kevin and Terry (Goffredi) Kumanga, and Robert and Frosty (Goffredi) Blakeslee; and his dog, Belle, along with his grand-dogs Cooper, and Bugaboo.
Dick lived a life full of curiosity, kindness, and a passion for teaching — both on the slopes and off. He will be remembered for his generous spirit, his devotion to his family and students, and his boundless enthusiasm for every adventure.
He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
A gathering will be held in his memory on Saturday, May 17, 2025, from 1 to 4 pm at the Albany Curling Club, 117 West McKown Rd, Albany, NY.
Internment will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Kingston, NY with family at a later date.
The family requests that no flowers be sent. Instead, please share a memory, listen to music, take a hike, go on a bike ride, take a dog for a walk, or do something that makes you think of him. If you would like to make a donation in his memory here are a few suggestions, or select the charity of your choice:
Walk to End Alzheimer's - http://act.alz.org/goto/teamwhiston
PSIA Eastern Educational Foundation - https://easternsnowpros.org/donate/non-members/
Peppertree Rescue (in memory of his first dog Cocoa) - https://peppertree.org/donate/
Mountain Rottie Rescue (in honor of his grand-dogs) - https://mountainrottierescue.net/home/donations/
