Feb. 21, 1940 – April 22, 2026
Surangel S. Whipps Sr. passed away at the age of 86.
Born in Airai, and from a modest background, Whipps served Palau as both a businessman and a politician.
Whipps attended elementary school in Palau but would graduate from Tumon High School in Guam. He graduated from the University of Baltimore in 1971 and returned to the republic in 1972.
He served on the Foreign Investment Board and was the first executive officer of Ngatpang in 1982. He was first elected in 1984 to represent Ngatpang State as a delegate in the second, third, fourth and fifth Olbiil Era Kelulau, Palau’s bicameral national congress for a total of 16 years. And, from 1992 to 1996, he would serve as speaker of the House.
He later turned his eyes to the Senate, earning a seat in the 2000 and 2004 elections. In 2005, he was elected by his fellow senators as president of the Senate.
His political career was unique in that he is the one Palauan to have led both houses of the OEK.
Whipps began his career in the commercial sector in various lines of business, which included a tour and diving company.
But it is as the founder of Surangel & Sons Co. that he found lasting success.
He began the retail and wholesale business in 1980, expanding its Koror location in December 1988 and April 1990, culminating in a four-level store in 2001.
The business has been called the country’s largest private employer, particularly since it opened a second location, the Surangel & Sons Superstore in Airai in 2022.
Whipps held the traditional chiefly title of Rekemesik of Ngatpang and sat on the Rubekul Belau, a traditional body that holds the role of advisory council to the president.
Surangel S. Whipps Sr. is survived by his wife, Marilyn, sons President Surangel S. Whipps Jr., Sen. Mason N. Whipps and Eric Whipps, and their families.
The Office of the President has confirmed that the former senator and delegate of Ngatpang State will be laid to rest in Ngatpang on May 4. mbj
