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Gary White

October 12, 1944 - July 12, 2009

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Obituary Viewed 4746 times

Posted by:
Terry White

Posted on:
July 12, 2009

MY BROTHER, MY MEMORIES Gary was a complicated soul. A man of immense Talent and Intelligence. He could set down at a piano at any time and play like he was Jerry Lee Lewis.....of course with no music. When I was a kid I used to watch him draw futuristic concept cars that are still ahead of anything imagined today. He had a variety of antics. He would hold me down, pull my shirt up and rub his whiskers up and down my chest or stick his knuckle out and thump me on a muscle so hard it would jump up and down. He called it a frog because of that result. Or hold me in a headlock and give me a "Dutch Rub" by rubbing his knuckles so fast across the top of my head I thought I would burst into flames. Once I recovered I always came back for more. I never saw him dance but I heard he was the Jitterbug King. I think he won a contest but I don't know if I had even been born yet. He played trumpet in band and went to State to win a 1 rating. Concealing his arm, which was in a cast so the Judges would not hold it against him. He taught me how to play chess and took me to the old Booster Hall to play with the adults in the Chess Club. When we lived together in California we had a magnetic chess set on the fridge and always had a game going. He had many moves memorized so I rarely beat him. But I gave him a challenge because I was so unconventional it was hard for him to predict my next move. So he couldn't stay his usual 3-4 moves ahead of me. On his wedding day he was under his Chevy Corvair. He had the transmission removed which was bad because he could never put anything back together. One of his best accomplishments was his St. Louis science fair project. It was some type of plane Geometry theorem where he used glass panes to illustrate it. He not only won a blue ribbon but also a 4 year scholarship to SIUC. So Gary to me was part of a great childhood that has long since passed and probably doesn't occur in today's world. I will remember him always and cherish his touch in my life. - Terry White -

Posted by:
Andy Hoffee

Posted on:
July 12, 2009

One of the most intelligent people I have ever known. Lost touch several years ago.

Posted by:
Roy Lee Lewis

Posted on:
July 12, 2009

Gary was someone I deeply admired. He had an intellect like no one I ever knew. He was multi-talented, musically and verbally. He was a gifted comedian and had a wit that was unmatched. He played trumpet in the band and performed in a quartet for trumpets with Craig Jones and 2 others whose names escape me. The musical selections they played were phenomenal. Once, after I performed a solo in a Christmas Cantata, Gary came up to me and paid me the highest compliment I'd ever had. He said I had the best tenor performance he'd ever heard. Wow! Coming from Gary, a guy who was so gifted musically, I've never forgotten his generous praise. I bumped into him serendipitously in California almost 40 years ago and it was such a thrill for me to see a familiar face in such a faraway place. I tried several times in my annual summer visits to Missouri to make contact with him---to no avail. I was always anxious to try to connect with him. I want his mother, Mrs. White to know that I always appreciated her musical talents, too, and how dedicated she has always been to her family and to the school bands through the years. I loved Gary very much and he'll be missed greatly. Please give my greetings to Kenny, also. May our Father in Heaven bless you and yours at this time. Sincerely, Roy Lee