Edward James White
December 29, 1926 ~ June 11, 2008
Resided in:
Candler, NC
Edward James White, 81, of Candler, died Wednesday, June 11, 2008, at the John F. Keever, Jr., Hospice Solace Center, Asheville, NC.
A native of Hartford, CT, Mr. White was the son of the late Joseph and Hazel White, of Hartford. He was also preceded in death by his brothers, Robert (age 8) and James White, of Treasure Island, FL.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Alice Goodrich White, of the home; one brother, Joseph L. White and wife Rella, of Wethersfield, CT; sister-in-law, Helen White, of Treasure Island; daughter, Mary White Jasper and husband Bernard, of Fullerton, CA; son, Edward M. White and wife Ella, of Hendersonville, NC; six grandchildren, Brian, Erin, and John Jasper, of Fullerton, and Cadence, Lazarus, and Rumi White, of Hendersonville; numerous nieces and nephews, and Taffy, our family dog and best friend.
Ed served in the U.S. Navy in World War II in the Pacific Campaign. He worked as a flight engineer on the PBMs in the Pacific islands receiving many awards and citations. Ed was a member of VFW Post 891 and DAV (Disabled American Veteran). After WWII, he graduated from the Ringling Art School, Sarasota, FL. He returned to Connecticut and worked for United Technologies, Inc., Pratt & Whitney Div., in the engineering department. Ed, Alice, and children lived for many years in Marlborough, CT, before moving to North Palm Beach and Jupiter, FL, where he worked for the Government Products Division of Pratt & Whitney in the engineering department. He retired after 37 years in 1987. Fishing and woodworking were his fondest hobbies. In 1995, Ed and Alice moved to Asheville/Candler, NC.
A memorial service will be held at Groce Funeral Home on Patton Ave., Asheville, at 4:00 p.m. Saturday.
His family will receive friends following the service.
A celebration of Ed's life will be held at a later date, time, and place yet to be determined.
Those wishing to make a contribution are encouraged to consider CarePartners Hospice, John F. Keever, Jr., Hospice Solace Center, P.O. Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28813, in the name of Edward White, or to the Humane Society of the United States, at HSUS, Dept. GAIT04, 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20037.
The family wishes to express our deepest appreciation for the loving care he received during his final days at the John K. Keever, Jr. Hospice Solace Center.
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My heart is heavy, but I will always remember Ed with a smile on his face.
Love, Sandy
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time.
God bless you,
Dennis and Frances DiPietro
Alice, Mary,Eddie, and families. I wish I could be with you and give each a hug. Know you are all in my prayers, as is Ed. I always rremeber him as very tall and his big smile always. Ed was an enjoyable person to visit with. Rollie and my visit with him at your home, and supper out at the Chinese buffet are special memories for me with both Ed and Rollie in them. God Bless each of you. Kathleen
Ed was a wonderful Father-in-law, and a strong and loving Grandpa. Though he was often battling his own physical and painful problems, he made room in his life for my family and me. Our time spent with him was positive and memorable. We are happy Mary was with him on his last days. My children and I will continue to cherish our memories of Grandpa Ed and his wonderful wit. We know his death is the begiining of his new life in the peace and serenity of heaven.
Dear alice and family, We fondly remember Ed.in so many ways. He helped us move into this house. He had such a great sense of humor.We remember he wouldn’t go in the pool unless the water was 90 degrees. He loved our Colleen like a daughter. He would call her kalinkadink. When we look at the palm he gave us which is now thirty feet tall, we will always think of him, with great admiration.We had great times together, St. Patty’s Day, New Years Eve, and many sundays watching the football games which we miss. We will miss him he will always be in our prayers. Love, Sally and Don
My grandpa Ed was one of the funniest people i have ever met. I always remember his vistits out to California and sitting outside eating potato chips with him and he would always eat half my chips saying that they were poisin when they were just overcooked. I also remember sitting on his couch in NC watching restling shows late at night with him. He used to always call me erie and we always laughed about it. I love u grandpa,grandma, mom, and uncle eddie and i’ll be praying for you. <3
Ed was a great guy who was kind and gentle and had a great smile. Alice, you and Ed will always have a special place in my heart and Chup’s too, as being one of the first welcoming couples we got to know when we moved to Florida, pretty much as teens. How the years do pass, especially once kids arrive, time flies by in a blink. The trees Ed gave us in containers are now big and provide nice shade in the yard. Please know that you will be in our thoughts and prayers. I will pray that God gives you and Mary and Eddie and the grandbabies too, the strength and courage throught this difficult time. We know that Ed is resting in peace and on to a much better place at the rel home of our Lord. With sincerest sympathy to ou and your family..Our love always, Chup, Lisa, ryan, Casey & Zach Krance
When God made Uncle Ed he broke the mold…there was no one like Uncle Ed! He was one of a kind and the world is a little less brighter now that he is gone. He was my favorite uncle…he ALWAYS had that special smile on his face and twinkle in his eyes. I just loved his long eyelashes!! I was blessed because my parents, Sam and Mary Placanica, made certain to give me and my brothers, Sam and John, great summer vacations when we were younger. My favorite were all the trips we made to Florida…and Uncle Ed and Aunt Alice’s home. They all (Mary and Eddie included) gave me a lifetime of wonderful memories over the years. Unfortunately I am only limited to 1000 characters on this site because I have SO MUCH I want to say about Uncle Ed and can’t. He ALWAYS made me laugh…his wit and humor was far better than any of the famous comics on TV. I will never forget the time Uncle Ed and Aunt Alice opened up their home to me and my 3 girlfriends: Kathy, Kelley and Karen in June of 1981. I am sure Aunt Alice could attest that their living room looked like a tornado hit while we were there but they both took it in stride. It was a trip of a lifetime for my friends and me and it was because of the love and caring of both Uncle Ed and Aunt Alice. Thank you so much for the memories. Now my dad and Uncle Ed are reunited…whole again, free from pain…and fishing in God’s great ocean!
To Aunt Alice, Mary and Eddie (and families): My thoughts and prayers are with you all. May God give you all peace during this difficult time. Love to all of you!
I lived by Ed & Alice for many years in North Palm Beach. I remember when Ed and I decided to drill our own sprinkler wells. We rented a drilling rig, bought lenghts of pipe and 8′ wellpoints. In one day we drilled both wells. (and consumed a few beers).
Ed helped me build an addition on my house. When we set the last roof truss in place, Ed said, ‘Go get your camera’. He climbed up, held a broom in the air for the official ‘topping out ceremony’. (and we consumed a few beers).
Another incident I remember is when we went down to Palm Beach Int. Airport, where I checked out the CAP Cessna. we flew back to our neighborhood dropping down to 500′ and tossed out a couple rolls of toilet paper, which festooned over Ed’s house, and Alice, who had come outside to see what racket was overhead. We drove back home (and had couple of beers to celebrate)
Ed always had a great sense of humor, and a ready smile. He will be greatly missed.
To Aunt Alice, Mary, and Eddie Jr. I pray that the love and joy Ed gave to you over your life help you though the sadness you are feeling. My memories from Ed in my youth still make me laugh. His straight-faced teasing tricked me on many occasions.
My Dad
He brought new meaning to the word: ‘Stubborn Irishman and Irish Temper’.
As his brother Joe would say, ‘He’s the only man he ever knew that could whistle out of the side of his mouth and hold a perfect tune. My dad had many physical abilities and talents: he could blink with both eyes, separately and raise his eyebrow real high. Know one could keep up with his long strides.
My father had a way with words. Some of his most famous were: ‘Nippy Nap’. My name was Guggen-Heimer-Deimer and my brother was Dinkle-Deimer-Heimer. He called my mother his ‘Agony’ and the ‘Yankee Clipper’. He taught his kids to say, ‘I wouldn’t trade all the gold in the world for the silver in our daddy’s hair’.He frequently sang the song: Lasagna, Lasagna,Lasagna, in Russsian that means I love you, if I had my way with Lasagna all day, Lasagna, Lasagna, Lasagna. In Florida he would tell us to get out our pen and pencil when approaching a draw bridge. When passing a cemetary he would say ‘People are dying to get in there!’
My father was a great craftsman, illustrator,writer and had the most beautiful penmanship. I treasure the cradle he made for me when I was born. I remember as a child helping my dad sand the wooden planks on the boat he built. He won an award for designing a patch for the Bass Anglers Society in Florida. He designed the most beautiful train birthday invitation for his grandson, Brian.
My father was a cultured man. I remember the father/daughter dates we had to the ballet and his collection of classical music and Van Gogh prints. My father was the only person who could consume a meal faster than me. I think he had a hollow leg because he loved to eat but never gained a pound.
My father knew how to laugh at himself and entertain others with his wit and wisdom. His toes were ‘Kings Toes’ and my mothers were the ‘Peasant Toes’. He would cut his toenails with scissors! He would brag about his three chest hairs and described the excess skin on his elbows as his muscles.
My father loved to tell stories. For years I believed that he met my mother on a tree stump in the woods. He once risked his life to rescue a Coke-a-Cola cooler from a burning building. I loved to hear his stories about World War II and the mattress he used as a surf board in the South Pacific and the sting ray barb tail that went through his leg. He spoke often of the seven foot sailfish he let go because ‘Alice was going to kill him if he brought it home’.
I have fond memories of our vacations to Venice, Florida where we would dig for hours for sharks teeth. My father found the ‘big one’ which I have on a necklace today.
My father had a bond with birds. In Connecticut a bird pecked his head until it bled while he tried to rescue a nest that had fallen from a tree. At Disney World, a bird pooped on his head after he made fun of the Tiki Bird show. The biggest bond he had with a bird was his pet parakeet, ‘Rockie’ and would boast how Rockie chose him in the backyard one day.
I will never forget the time my claustrophobic father and I got stuck in the elevator together at the Jupiter Beach Hilton. Nor will I forget how the both of us could not stop crying long enough for the photographer to take my wedding pictures.
I will never forget the day my mother and father waited 24 hours in the hospital waiting room while I gave birth to my first son. Nor will my husband forget the time he and my father went to the Arches Restaurant in Newport Beach, CA to have a few Martini’s while I was in labor. I will always treasure the reactions my children have when they talk about ‘Grandpa Ed The Big Guy’.
My father, a man of great wit, honor,intelligence, beauty, pride and love! You have given me a lifetime of memories I will cherish in my heart forever! May you finally find peace in Heaven.
Goodbye,Dad.
So many happy and funny memories I have of Ed. He gave me my first Classical music records in my early teens. I still have them(Chopin and Tschaikowsky) and I was thrilled by them. Practically memorized each piece on them. He also gave me the nickname ‘YakYak’ because of my very ‘quiet demeanor’ as a preteen. It still is echoed by Ted and others after almost 50 years!. What a treasure he was to all who knew him. Ted still remembers fondly his first visit at the Marlborough Tavern where Ed asked the bartender which one- Ed, Ted, Bobby or Johnny- was the ‘Chicken S—‘ Lieutenant! Needless to say 2 of them were too old, and Bobby was a little ‘under the influence’. Ted and I have many fond memories babysitting for Alice and Ed while at UCONN and being warned by Ed not to do any ‘heavy biology studies’ while they were out. Never a dull conversation with that guy. He added so much humor and joy to people’s lives and the world is a much brighter, better place for it. Much Sympathy and Love to all of the White family..Kay
So many happy and funny memories I have of Ed. He gave me my first Classical music records in my early teens. I still have them(Chopin and Tschaikowsky) and I was thrilled by them. Practically memorized each piece on them. He also gave me the nickname ‘YakYak’ because of my very ‘quiet demeanor’ as a preteen. It still is echoed by Ted and others after almost 50 years!. What a treasure he was to all who knew him. Ted still remembers fondly his first visit at the Marlborough Tavern where Ed asked the bartender which one- Ed, Ted, Bobby or Johnny- was the ‘Chicken S—‘ Lieutenant! Needless to say 2 of them were too old, and Bobby was a little ‘under the influence’. Ted and I have many fond memories babysitting for Alice and Ed while at UCONN and being warned by Ed not to do any ‘heavy biology studies’ while they were out. Never a dull conversation with that guy. He added so much humor and joy to people’s lives and the world is a much brighter, better place for it. Much Sympathy and Love to all of the White family..Kay
Edward White, or how i always knew him by, ‘Grandpa Ed the Big Guy.’
I have countless memories of him from my childhood. I remember how he would tug at the excess skin on my elbow and say ‘Look at that muscle! He’s going to be a strong one!’ How whenever i would pop open a bag of potato chips he would always take the ones with the most miniscule burn marks, claiming he just saved my life because they were poison.
Some of the earliest memories i have are of him. I will never forget Grandpa Ed the Big Guy.
We had great times in CT and Ed
helped me a lot when at PW
God bless
Love,
Mal
I am sorry for your loss. I worked with Ed for many years at P&W. I always enjoyed his sense of humor. He was a great guy! My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Alice, Mary, Eddie, and families, I want you to know that you are all in my thoghts and prayers. Ed was a very special man and made a lasting impression on whoever had the pleasure of meeting him like I had. May God comfort you during this tough time and keep good memories in your heart. God Bless you all.
Aunt Alice, Mary, Eddie and all the gang, You are in my thoughts and prayers. I have great childhood memories of Uncle Ed. His smile and his gentle manner made a lasting impression on all he met. I especially remember visiting you all in Jupiter; oh how Uncle Ed could make me laugh. Hang onto the memories they’ll help keep you strong.
Blessings, Lisa
Do not say with sorrow, “He is no moreâ€. Rather, pronounce with joy, “He was.â€
Edward James White, …Ed,…Eddie,….Edward are all names for those to remember him by. For me he is “Dadâ€. I will always remember him as Dad. As his son, he has defined me. He shaped the man that I am today and for that I am forever grateful. There has not been any day that has gone by that I do not think about him in someway. I know most will remember him for his sense of humor, but for me (a father of three -about to be a father of four) I will remember his undying sense of responsibility to his family as a father and as a husband. It is this memory that empowers me everyday to make it through the worst of times and be grateful for the best of times. Dad started out with very little, no one to model himself after as a father or as a mother, no idea of true commitment, and no example of responsibility. Somehow, though, he was able to make himself into a man of integrity and a man of honor. He is a role model for me and I will remember all that is good about him. I hope to pass this on to my own children, so that those positive qualities will live on long after I leave. This is his gift. It is his legacy.
Missed but never forgotten
I doubt there is anyone who cannot attest to some lasting memory from Ed – especially his sense of humor.
When visiting the family years ago in Jupiter, he liked to sit out front after a downpour, and ‘just watch the grass grow’. And I always enjoyed doing crosswords with Alice and him on my several visits to Candler.
To me, Ed will be remembered as the THE BEST any man could ever be.
He will be greatly missed by many of us.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
We were the perfect matching couple. Zel & Alice were workaholics. Ed & I loved to sit out on the deck and watch our spouces work. I tested the swing by the pool and landed on the ground. Zel & Ed shared ‘Rocky’. Our trip to Buffalo in the winter was the best! We were ordered off the highway because of snow. We ended up at a brother of Alices and had ‘white hot dogs’ for the first time! From Marlborough to West Palm Beach to North Carolina…over 60 years we have been friends! We love you both!
I have such wonderful memories of Uncle Ed visiting in CT when I was young…he always had some fascinating fact to share with us like jelly coming from jellyfish or chocolate milk from brown cows. It’s amazing how he left such a lasting memory over those short visits. I am blessed to have known him. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Uncle Ed was truly a genuine and caring man who left a lasting impression on whomever he met. He warmed the hearts of everyone with his sense of humor and Irish charm. He was a major influence on me and my decision to join the Navy and work in the field of naval aviation. I was always impressed with his WWII Navy seaplane flight engineer stories. A current Navy veteran and Reservist myself, whenever I talked to Uncle Ed on the phone he would say “How goes it Swabby?†Whenever I visited him in Florida or North Carolina, we could sit there for hours and swap sea stories. He will be dearly missed. I salute you Uncle Ed ‒ Fair Winds and Following Seas.
Aunt Alice,
I would like to express my deepest condolences for the recent passing of Uncle Ed. Even though my family’s visits to Florida at your house occurred over 25 yrs. ago, these vacations are amongst my memorable due to the hospitality shown by yourself and Uncle Ed. Uncle Ed’s good nature and charming personality helped to make our visits very enjoyable. He helped to make us feel at home and he provided us with many different ways to experience Florida. Whether it was taking us deep-sea fishing, watching sea turtles laying eggs on the beach, exploring the Northern Everglades, or just relaxing on your back porch watching the little lizards scamper around. Uncle Ed was a lot of fun to be around. Additionally, I have always appreciated how well you both treated my mom and myself in California during Mary’s wedding festivities. Uncle Ed was a wonderful uncle and a geat person – I will miss him. With loving sympathy, Sam, Mary & Sammy Placanica