Don White Obituary

Patricia Ball '69 said:

On September 30, 2017, Donald K. White, Jr passed away in Gainesville, FL, at the age of 69, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his daughters, Jenna White of Gainesville, FL and Megan Michaels of Nashville, TN; as well as his sister Barb Holcomb of Annapolis, MD; brother Bill White of Sedona, AZ; nephews Justin Holcomb of Blacksburg, VA and Bill White of Annapolis, MD; and son-in-law Brett Michaels of Nashville, TN. He is also survived by his grandson, Julian Michaels.Don was born in Evanston, IL to Don White, Sr and Helen White on March 24, 1948, and grew up in Fairfax, VA. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of Virginia in 1970 and earned a Master’s Degree in Instructional Systems from Indiana University in 1971. He moved to Howard County, MD where he began a 30+year career in education.Don was a leader in many ways for the Howard County Public School System. He started in a role as Media Specialist for Glenelg High School where he also taught summer school and helped coach the football and lacrosse teams. He moved from there into Assistant Principal roles at Oakland Mills High School, Howard High School and retired as Assistant Principal for River Hill High School. Don was very proud of the relationships he built within the community and said the favorite part of his day was bus duty in the morning - because it meant he got to say “hi” to everyone at least once that day.In retirement, Don discovered his skills with his hands and love of nature. He was a long-time volunteer at the National Botanic Gardens in Washington, DC; and, when he moved to Florida, he spent a great deal of energy working to create native habitats for birds, bees and butterflies in his back yard. Don also discovered his talent for wood-working and spent lots of time “making sawdust” in the garage - and talking to the neighbors in his Florida home.