(Ret) William E. White's Obituary
Lt Col (Ret) William E White of Fort Myers passed away on March 20, 2017. He was 91 years old. Bill is survived by his wife of 66 years, Shirley (nee Harvey) and two children, Mary Jean Botbyl (Jerry) of Ringwood, NJ and W White. Also, many grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was a member of the St Luke’s Episcopal Church.Bill was born at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, DC. He graduated ROTC from the University of Maryland. Bill served his country proudly in the US Army for 25 years. This service included Lieutenant, Platoon Leader, 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One) in Germany. After a short tour at Fort Dix, Bill went to Korea and was Captain in the 7th Infantry Division. From there Bill was assigned in 1959 to the University of Detroit ROTC. After being promoted to Major, Bill was assigned to Fort Carson, then Fort Polk where he was Battalion Commander. In 1963 he joined the 173rd. He was Commandant of the Jungle Warfare Training School on the Island of Irimote. He was XO of the 2nd Battalion, 503rd on Okinawa and then Vietnam. Bill finished his distinguished career as Lieutenant Colonel at Fort Monroe, VA.After his military career, Bill and his family moved to Franklin Lakes, NJ where he had a business career that spanned 12 years. Upon retirement, Bill and Shirley moved to Long Beach Island, NJ. They eventually settled in Fort Myers, FL where Bill and Shirley have lived the last 13 years.He will be buried at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery.In lieu of flowers please make donations to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Association Foundation, c/o Treasurer Jerry L. Cooper CPA, 4004 Sheffield, Muskogee, OK 74403-8557. Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home is serving the family. Online condolences and memories may be shared on his tribute page at www.fortmyersmemorial.com
What’s your fondest memory of (Ret)?
What’s a lesson you learned from (Ret)?
Share a story where (Ret)'s kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with (Ret) you’ll never forget.
How did (Ret) make you smile?