Mr. Frederick Eugene White, P.E., PhD

On March 19th, the Feast Day of St. Joseph, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Frederick E. White, P.E., PhD, entered into the joy of his Lord in Columbia, SC, at 80 years of age.

Born in New York City, Fred grew up on Harbor View on the Long Island Sound, South Norwalk, CT, where he enjoyed sailing, swimming and water-skiing from a young age. The youngest of four children, his father, also named Fred, was a NYC Fire Chief. His mother Anna was an excellent homemaker who also cared for her invalid mother.

His two neighbors, Neil and Drina, were his best buds. He and Neil were very youthful entrepreneurs, hauling a wagon around to sell knickknacks and comic books to the neighbor kids. Together they pushed a rotary lawn mower, charging $1.25 per yard. They made tin can walkie-talkies and ran the string through Drina’s house to reach each other.

Fred played football and the trumpet at Bryan McMahon High School. Deciding not to follow all his friends to UCONN, he chose Virginia Tech, not realizing his choice was full time ROTC. He did not enjoy it, but later putting ROTC on his resume ultimately was a career gamechanger.

His Junior year Fred met his wife Patsy White, a student at Radford, on a blind date. They married after his graduation, and he stayed on at Virginia Tech to earn his Master of Science in Civil Engineering. Then began a series of moves and babies: a year at the Connecticut State Department of Health, inspecting sewage treatment plants and referred to by the plant operators as a “Snot-nosed kid who knew his business.” Along came a baby girl and the Draft. His two degrees earned him a commission as a Captain in the Medical Service Corps, stationed at Fort Sam Houston, TX, and later Fort Campbell, KY, and a baby boy and a St. Bernard.

Compliments of the GI Bill, Fred earned a PhD at Penn State and another baby boy. He decided on a teaching career, and this is when his previous ROTC experience made him the preferable candidate for a position at Norwich University, the Nation’s Oldest Private Military Academy, where he enjoyed 37 happy years. He was a warm and encouraging teacher. He guided student teams in Steel Bridge, Egg Drop, and Concrete Canoe competitions, and visiting high school student popsicle bridge competitions. He also brought the Order of the Engineer Society to Norwich.

In the community, he coached minor and little league, was Junior and later Senior Warden at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Assistant Cub Scout Den Mother with his wife, and assisted with his two son’s Eagle Scout projects.

Friends said Fred “was a man of such quiet but powerful integrity that to know him made one wish to be a person worthy of his approbation.” Another said “his was a life well lived and a man well loved.”

Fred’s brother Bob predeceased him. He has two remaining sisters, Susan Young and Judith Siefert, and a sister-in-law, Susan White.

He leaves behind his wife of 58 years, Patsy, three children, Marge, Alex, and Isaac, two daughters-in-law, Laura and Carrie, and twelve grandchildren, Jonathan, Natalie, Kathryn, Gavin, Rebekah, Bridgette, Alistair, Luke, Naomi, Gianna, Rucker, and Isabella. He also is missed by two adopted families, Carol, her husband Julius, and Baby Fred in Uganda, and Moses, Nancy, Makayla, Miles and Fred in Kenya.

His service, The Burial of the Dead from the Book of Common Prayer, was held at The Chapel of the Holy Spirit in Still Hopes Retirement Community, West Columbia, SC, on March 23, The Reverend Doctor James Fraser Lyon IV officiating. His Committal Service was at Fort Jackson Military Cemetery on March 24, his daughter-in-law The Reverend Laura Dale White officiating.