Joseph E. "Gene" Whelan

Mr. Joseph E. “Gene” Whelan, age 93, of Flaherty, KY, passed away on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at Baptist Health Hardin in Elizabethtown.  Gene was born on December 13, 1931, the son of Gus and Minnie Mattingly Whelan.  He was a longtime parishioner of St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church.  Gene was a veteran of the United States Air Force, proudly serving his country during the Korean Conflict. He retired from the State Highway Department, but his true passion was farming.  He was also an avid fan of the Kentucky Wildcats.

Gene was preceded in death by his wife, Gladys Lawson Whelan; his son, David Whelan; his son-in-law, Gene Hobbs; and 10 brothers and sisters Juanita Shircliffe, Margaret Lancaster, Lillie Pike, Thelma Ray, Lucille Ray, Georgia Lee Hardesty, Dorothy Adkisson, Golan, Kenneth, and James Whelan.  He is survived by six children, Perry (Jean) Whelan, Lonnie (Kelly) Whelan, Joseph (Susan) Whelan, Lisa Hobbs, Rhonda (Gene) Thompson, and Elaine (Jeff) McKinney; and a host of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, November 3, 2025, at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, with Rev. Ben Brown officiating.  Burial, with military honors, will follow in the church cemetery.  Visitation will be held at Hager Funeral Home from 12:00 Noon until 4:00 PM on Sunday, and from 9:00 AM until 10:15 AM on Monday.  A vigil service will be held at 4:00 PM on Sunday in the chapel of the funeral home.  Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the St. Martin Cemetery Fund.