John E. Whedon

John E. Whedon, Photographer

Franklin, NH - Born on November 12, 1947, John was raised in Andover and Franklin by his parents Ernest Nahum Whedon and Bessie (George) Whedon. He grew up attending the Andover and Franklin Schools and the Andover Congregational Church Sunday School in East Andover. During his senior year at Franklin High School, John joined the newly formed Andover Rescue Squad in 1966.  After graduating from Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in Accounting and Business Management, John went on to serve in the US Army during the Vietnam conflict, and was honorably discharged as an E-5. John returned home to become a full-time police officer with Franklin Police Department and continued to work as a part-time Ski Patrolman at Ragged Mountain. In 1972, he married Margaret Knott of Danbury, NH. The following year, he took on the position of Chief of Police in Andover, NH. He also trained for and re-joined the Andover Rescue Squad, serving as Captain for a few years and remained an active member until 1986. John was employed by Sturm Ruger Firearms in Newport, NH as a machinist for 14 years.

John and his wife Marg opened a part-time portrait and wedding studio in 1981, and they moved to Tilton, NH in 1986, where their barn / turned photo and art studio became a full-time venture. John later served as a correctional officer at Merrimack County Correctional Facility. Following that, he was employed as a Security Officer at Concord Hospital for 10 years, becoming an avid bicyclist and serving on the hospital's Security Bike Team. He then took a promotion to Head of Security at Monadnock Hospital in Peterborough, NH for 5 years, which led to a small side career as a residential and commercial locksmith and alarm system specialist.

With a lifelong interest in photography, John has almost always had a camera in hand, even while he pursued other careers.  As an EMT, he often provided photographs for training purposes. As a police officer, he photographed accident and crime scene evidence. When his studio became a full-time business, he and his wife attended many continuing education seminars and schools of photography to hone their skills. Their studio became very popular with their innovative approach to photographing young adults for their senior high school portrait needs. And the memory books they produced for wedding couples kept a steady flow of young couples wanting their wedding day covered by the Whedon's Photography team.

Eventually, the need for "brick & mortar" studios began to dwindle and film gave way to digital photography. John then began to pursue his REAL passion  .  .  .  scenic and wildlife photography. Traveling to Yellowstone National Park, John captured images of wolves, bison, and elk, among many other new and different scenes. In more recent years, John spent many hours exploring and taking photographs along the ocean shorelines of Maine and NH. John and Marg served as Island Stewards for many years on Smuttynose Island and at White Island Light.

In addition, John helped his wife, Marg, achieve her dream of ocean sailing. Together, they sanded and painted the hull, repaired this and that, installed navigational and safety equipment and rigged sails on their new (old) boat, the "Seacluse". Spending long weekends on the boat, they have enjoyed sailing on Casco Bay and along the Atlantic coast, and of course, a whole new scene of "on the water" photography.

While at home, John and his dog Jake enjoyed hiking to remote areas where he could find photographic subjects in their natural habitat. John also developed their small back yard, into an oasis for birds, attracting over thirty species to a variety of feeders and plantings. John's photography skills and his new skills in digital enhancement, allowed him to produce many kinds of photography that are truly works of art.

Diagnosed with cancer early last December, John fought a long battle with the disease, before passing away at home on November 9, 2022 with his wife, daughter and son-in-law by his side. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, "Marg" (Knott) Whedon; their daughters, Christine Whedon-Darling and her husband Stephen, and Cynthia (Whedon) Currier and her husband David; four grandsons, Ian, Hunter, Owen and Nathan and a granddaughter, Johanna.  He is also survived by a sister Kathleen (Knott) Hitchmoth and her husband Al, a brother Harold Knott and his wife Angie (Cummings), a sister-in-law Lisa Murphy, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews, including John's nephew Tim and his wife, Rita Heath of Franklin, who are the Godparents of John's and Marg's daughters.

John is pre-deceased by his parents, Ernest and Bessie (George) Whedon, 4 brothers, Donal, Clayton "Skip", Leland "Si", and Fred Miller, and a sister Thelma (Miller) Heath.

Calling hours will be held at Thibault - Neun Funeral Home, 143 Franklin Street, Franklin, NH on Sunday, November 20, 2022 from 1 pm to 3 pm. A celebration of life will follow, directly afterward, at 3 pm.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation, in memory of John Whedon, to:
Andover NH EMS / Rescue Squad    P O Box 61   Andover, NH  03216.

For an online guestbook, please visit www.neunfuneralhomes.com