John W. White

John W. White, 58, of Berryton, passed away on Saturday, June 7, 2008. He was born on April 17, 1950 in Emporia, the son of George E. and Opal Jenkins White. He graduated from Lyndon High School. He attended Central College in McPherson and graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelors and Masters degree in Civil Engineering. He then attended the University of Kansas where he was working towards his PhD. John was a partner with VanDoren, Hazard and Stallings in Topeka. He then became a partner with Mid Kansas Engineering Consultants. In 1990, he began White, Martin and Associates, Inc. with Jim Martin. John was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Water Pollution Control Federation, the American Water Works Association, the National Society of Professional Engineers and served on numerous committees and other task forces for specific engineering issues. He was a member of Brookwood Covenant Church, where he served on various boards. He also served on the Midland Hospice Board of Directors and the Topeka Swim Association. He was active in his childrens various sporting activities. John married Marva "Kay" Collins on September 21, 1974 in Topeka. She survives. Other survivors include children, Rachelle Petersen and husband, Gene of Topeka, Jeffrey White of Wakarusa, Shannon Beck and husband, Andrew of Liberty, MO, Danielle White of Topeka, one granddaughter, Raegan Petersen, his mother, Opal White of Greenville, IL, and two sisters, Sharon Moyer of Greenville, IL and Gayle Sherman of San Francisco, CA. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Brookwood Covenant Church. Burial will follow in Pleasant Hill Cemetery southeast of Topeka. John will lie in state after 2:00 p.m. Thursday at Penwell-Gabel Mid Town Chapel where the family will receive friends from 6:00-7:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to Brookwood Covenant Church, 3601 S.W. 33rd St., Topeka, KS 66614 or Muscular Dystrophy Association, 3 Corporate Woods, 8700 Indian Creek Pkwy., Suite 340, Overland Park, KS 66210. To leave a special message for the family online, visit www.PenwellGabel.com.