If you have been in Bridgewater very long, you surely remember how Carlyle Whitelow would greet passersby on Main Street with a smiling face and a friendly wave. His positive spirit undoubtedly touched the lives of so many people.
This year marks the fifth year since Carlyle’s passing. In memory of Carlyle and the joy he brought to the town and in recognition of his birthday (September 6), the Bridgewater Police Department will be hosting a “Community Wave” on Friday, September 4, 7:30-8:15 am at Dairy Queen. Residents are invited to join our officers there to wave at passersby and share a little joy with their neighbors.
For those newer to our community, Carlyle was a pillar of the Bridgewater community for decades, and Whitelow Park on Dry River Road was named for him. Carlyle spent most of his life in the Bridgewater community, graduating from Bridgewater College in 1959. He excelled at athletics, lettering two years in football, basketball, and track. After earning a post-graduate degree from the University of Virginia in 1969, he returned to his alma mater to teach in the Physical Education Department and also to coach football, basketball, and tennis. He was inducted into the Bridgewater College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.
Following his retirement from Bridgewater College, Carlyle remained active in the Bridgewater community through his service for the Bridgewater Ruritan Club, Bridgewater Rotary Club, and John Wesley United Methodist Church, and his support of local community groups and church organizations. For his service, he was recognized with the Bridgewater Ruritan Club’s Citizen of the Year Award and the Rockingham County Commonwealth’s Attorney Citizenship Award. Many remember Carlyle as the friendly greeter who waved at them as they drove by on Main Street, the kind face they encountered at a place of business, or the author of a touching note during a time of grief.
The above painting “Coach” was created by Jim Harris in memory of Carlyle Whitelow and hangs in the Bridgewater Community Center.