Gail T. Whitehead, 55, passed away June 17, 2018, at her home after a long illness.
Born March 25, 1963, in Willimantic, Connecticut, Gail was the daughter of Charles and Estelle Beaudette Tarpinian. She attended local schools in Connecticut, and graduated from the Boston Conservatory of Music with a BFA in dance and later the University of Brighton in England.
In 1986 she married her beloved husband, Daniel Whitehead, at St. Mary’s Church in Willimantic. They subsequently moved to the UK where Gail began her career as a professional dancer, including the national tour of “West Side Story” and residencies in both Germany and Eire. Gail later transitioned to teaching dance full-time and became head of dance at the Elliot School in Putney, West London, where she taught dance and physical education. In 2000, they moved to the Berkshires where Gail was a fitness instructor and personal trainer at Canyon Ranch in Lenox. A person of faith and spirituality, Gail was a devout member of St. Peter’s Parish in Great Barrington. Meditation and prayer were part of her daily practice.
Gail is survived by her husband, Dan, of Great Barrington; her mother, Estelle Tarpinian, of Connecticut; her brothers Glenn Tarpinian and Marie Anne Beauchesne of Connecticut and Craig and Jennifer Tarpinian of North Carolina; many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws in both the UK and Australia; and her rescued greyhound, Mia.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, June 29, 2018, at 10 a.m. at St. Peter’s Church, 213 Main St., Great Barrington, with the Rev. William Murphy officiating. Burial will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions would be appreciated to Connecticut Greyhound Adoption or Massachusetts Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals c/o Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. To send notes of condolence and sympathy, go to www.finnertyandstevens.com.
