Saratoga Springs - John L. Whitman, Jr. John Leroy "Roy" Whitman, Jr., of Zephyr lane passed away on Sunday, September 7, 2014 at his residence. He was 68. Born in Albany on August 30, 1946, son of the late John and AnnaMae (Close) Whitman, Sr. He is predeceased by his long time companion Mary Lou (LaRose) Whitman. Roy served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was a member of the Gurtler Brothers VFW Post 420 and the Italian Fraternal Hall, both of Saratoga Springs. An avid fan of the Saratoga Racetrack, he went whenever he could and enjoyed all aspects of the season from the people, to the excitement, all the way to the horses themselves. He often stated, You gotta be in it to win it! Football season was another passion of his; always rooting for the New York teams, most especially the Giants. Survivors include his children, Sara (Allen) Kipp of Stillwater, Cheryl (Ricardo)Whitman- Roberts of Schenectady and Shawn Whitman of Saratoga Springs, his siblings, Judy (Frank) Matrazzo of Saratoga Springs and Susan (Robert) Sandford of TN as well as 9 grandchildren. He is predeceased by his beloved brother Dennis Whitman. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11am on Saturday, September 13, 2014 at St. Peter's Church, 895 Hudson Avenue, Stillwater. Relatives and friends may call at the church from 10-11:00am prior to Mass. Burial will be in St. Peter's Cemetery, Stillwater. Kindly consider donations to the DAV Transportation Services, C/O Stratton VA Medical Center, 113 Holland Ave., Albany, NY 12208 in memory of John Whitman, Jr.