Gwendolyn V Woirhaye

Gwen Vaden Woirhaye, 9-24-1938 to 12-25-2023, was born in Flint Michigan and died in Whittier California. She and her husband Mahlon had four children: Mahlon III, Warrick (deceased), Brendon, and Loren. She is survived by her brother Roger, sister Marcia, grandchildren Cedric Woirhaye, Anathea Woirhaye, Elyse Woirhaye, Ashley Roberts, Kaleb Woirhaye, Summer Stevens and great granddaughter Adriana Roberts.  

Her family left Michigan on Christmas day, 1945, when they moved to Chula Vista, California.  They moved to Monrovia in 1949 where she went to high school.  She came to Whittier College in 1956 and never left the town. She taught for eight years in the Whittier Elementary School District, and was a founding member of the Whittier Friends School. She has been a long time member of the Whittier Peace Coalition, the Whittier Conservancy, Whittier Cultural Arts Foundation, Whittier Genealogical Society, Whittier Historic Neighborhood Association, American Association of University Women, Friends Memoirs Writers, and PEO among others - including leadership roles in many of them.  She was very involved in Whittier First Friends Church, A Quaker Meeting, where she worked for many years as the office administrator and served on many committees, including leadership as Presiding Clerk from 2011 to 2013.

She and Mahlon traveled widely in Europe, lived briefly several times in England, and often went to 40 or 50 plays a year in California and other places. Gwen loved Whittier, Whittier history, and Whittier people.  

Services will be held at Whittier First Friends Church (562-698-9805) on February 3rd at 11am and an online option. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Whittier Friends School, AAUW, or any of the organizations she was passionately involved in.