AARP DC Honors Volunteer Sue Whitman

Living a vigorous life in service to others was how Sue Whitman was remembered during a memorial service in her honor on June 14, 2014 at Iona House. Sue died on March 27 ^th at the age of 103. She was buried next to her husband at Arlington National Cemetery As a member of AARP DC’s Advocacy Team, Sue was a champion for long-term care for the elderly in Washington, DC. In addition to serving as an AARP volunteer, Sue donated her advocacy “muscle” to a number of the District’s groups working with older residents including: serving as founding President of the Volunteer Clearinghouse, working for ten years as an Iona House volunteer, and being a Commissioner on the DC Commission on Aging.

Sue was a board member or volunteered in various advisory capacities for the Homemaker Health Aide Services of the National Capital Area; the Points of Light Foundation; the National Capital Chapter of the Older Women's League (OWL); the Capital Home Health Association; the Visiting Nurse Association; the Long Term Care Council of the DC League for Nursing; the Committee on Aging for the DC League of Women Voters; the Emeritus Foundation; and the National Council on Aging annual conferences. She initiated the annual celebration of Super Senior Day and won the honor herself in 2008, 25 years after founding the event.

Sue’s robust volunteer career began after retiring from a distinguished career with the Department of State. Remembering with fondness, Sue’s commitment to helping the District’s older residents, Louis Davis, AARP DC State Director shared his memories of Sue, “I was honored to work with Sue when I was Legislative Director here for AARP DC. On the AARP DC Advocacy Team, Sue was smart as a tack and tenacious about issues impacting District elders.”

Dedicated to helping others, AARP DC extends condolences to Sue’s son John and his family, and to all who knew Sue and were captured by her infectious gift of caring.