Gerald Wayne White

Gerald Wayne White, also known as Jerry, a loving father, grandfather and mentor, born November 24th, 1931 in Olton, Texas, passed away peacefully surrounded by all his children and grandchildren on August 26, 2016, to join his loving wife Patsy of 50 years, his Granddad “Dad” Clark, Uncle Dan, and to meet his father Charlie, who was killed in a car crash just before he was born, for the very first time. How exciting!

Gerald was an unusual fellow who never forgot a face, a poem, a tune or any fact he ever learned, he possessed a photographic memory in fact. He lived a life of adventure filled with extensive world travel and occasional intrigue. Coming from very humble roots as a small town farm boy, born to a Depression era widow during the Dust Bowl, Jerry had a dream that could not be contained, one which led to a life of great excitement and adventure. Jerry always sought to expand his horizons of knowledge. He was known by his children and grandchildren as a “walking encyclopedia,” and knew not a little, but a lot, about most everything.

Jerry graduated from Olton High School in 1949, then Texas Tech with a B.S. in Textile Engineering in 1953. He and Patsy were married on June 7th, 1953, and within weeks, with the Korean conflict escalating; he was drafted and served the U.S. Army in chemical weapons research. Following his service, he returned to Texas Tech and obtained a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, in 1957. Jerry worked in a wide variety of industries during his extensive career, ranging from oil & gas, aviation, machine design, nuclear power generation, etc., with creative emphasis on applied high tech metallurgical coatings utilizing plasma vapor deposition, designed to make things work better and last longer. He left marks of his creative genius in every area he touched and embodied the definition of the term entrepreneur long before the word was in vogue. He is best described as quite simply an “inventor”. His domestic and foreign patents numbered in excess of 30. Jerry was a highly creative inventor, in the truest sense, who always sought to find a solution to any problem that presented itself.

His greatest contribution to this world was found in a most unusual manner and stretched his creative genius in a very different direction. In 1993, Jerry was diagnosed with Stage 4 Renal Cell Cancer and given three months to live. He delved into a new life adventure that became his passion and greatest endeavor. He developed a Mind/Body Medicine program that offered hope and alternatives for victims of cancer. Yet it did not stop there. Whenever he met a person with another issue or illness, he studied the specifics of their condition and prepared a customized “guided imagery” program for each individual that he met, whether that be Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, PTSD or Drug and Alcohol addiction. His goal was always to develop a program to aid in that person’s healing process.

In his last months, he worked day and night to develop a children’s book and CD designed specifically for children with cancer, which was inspired by a small child who had sought his help. His amazing ability of storytelling was a true gift that he freely shared with others. Whether it be children’s stories, great works of literature, historical events or biblical discussions, he could converse knowledgeably and logically with anyone, anywhere, on any level. His intelligence, humor and creativity were only exceeded by the brilliant shining star that represented a caring compassionate heart which always guided the life he led and the character he exemplified.

Jerry was an active father and grandfather, always participating in activities ranging from Boy Scouts, Indian Guides, Little League baseball, Campfire Girls and making sure his children always had their homework done on time. For a man who never had a father of his own, Jerry certainly understood and lived the role of an exemplary Dad. He was an avid naturalist and gardener, always having a beautiful yard. He loved the outdoors and combined many a business trip with family camping across the entire country. His children were thus able to experience history, not just read about it. He enjoyed playing the fiddle, harmonica, piano and occasionally even the “didgeridoo”. Jerry treasured the world of music and listened to a wide variety of music, ranging from Bob Wills, Big Band era to Classical. Jerry was a Master Mason and a Shriner. He was active in various churches throughout his life, often serving as a Sunday school teacher, as well as chaperoning many youth outings. Jerry had an extensive knowledge of the Bible and was a man of deep unwavering faith in Jesus Christ.

“Dear Ol’ Dad” is survived by his children, Danny White, Kathy Vaughan and Walter White; his grandchildren Daniel Vaughan, Gerald White II, Meghan White, Michelle Vaughan, Melanie White and Katherine White; along with his second wife Lucy, of ten years. Jerry is also survived by his children by marriage Jim Vaughan, Debbie White and Lara White. A private family graveside service was held on August 28th, at the Acton Cemetery, to honor and celebrate Jerry’s life. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him. His family is quite confident he is having a grand old time in Paradise, reuniting with his loved ones who went on before.