Eugene W. White

1933 - 2015

Eugene W. White, 82, Punxsutawney, died Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015, at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh.

He was born on Jan. 23, 1933, in Canoe Township, Indiana County, a son of the late Elda (Reeger) and Foster J. White.

On July 26, 1952, he married Joann O. "Peaches" Reitz, who preceded him in death in 2001.

Eugene earned his degrees from Penn State University; a B.S. in Geology and Mineralogy in 1955, a M.S. in Mineralogy and Petrology in 1958 and a Ph.D. in Solid State Technology in 1965.

He worked many places throughout his life, but considered himself most of all an inventor. He worked as a research assistant in Mineralogy at Penn State; a physicist at Picker X-Ray Corp., where he helped build and test new X-Ray Powder Diffraction and X-Ray Fluorescence Equipment; a research associate for Penn State with responsibility for setting up and operating the new Electron Microprobe lab; and was appointed Assistant Professor of Solid State Sciences, becoming a full tenured professor in 1976.

He was co-founder and first Vice President for Research of Replam Corp., a California company founded to develop Penn State Biomaterials Patented Technology which later became Interpore International, then the leading manufacturer of bone substitute materials. He also co-founded Enerco, Inc., and was a Vice President for Research and Development of NAC Carbon Products.

Eugene had over 130 technical publications and books and 18 U.S. patents. After his working career, he continued to develop new inventions and the commercial applications of existing patents.

In September of 2012, he and his nephew, Rodney White, traveled to Washington, D.C., and received one of the first Golden Goose Awards for their discovery of a substitute for bone made from coral.

He enjoyed the outdoors and had a great appreciation for nature itself.

He is survived by four children, son Steven F. White and wife Janice of Juneau, Pa., daughter Genia White Heigel and husband Carl of Brookville, Pa., son Leonard M. White of State College, Pa., and Carlton D. White and wife Laurie of Marion Center, Pa.; nine grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; four sisters, Eldavee (Vee) Baun and husband Harry of Crescent, Pa., Marilyn Kay Neiswonger and husband Larry of Punxsutawney, Lois Campbell and husband Harold of Elizabethton, Tennessee, and Juanita Pape and husband Greg of Punxsutawney; numerous nieces and nephews; and his good friend and companion of 14 years, Phyllis Lopez.

In addition to his wife and parents, a step-mother, Ora S. White, and three brothers, Forrest D. White, Donald J. White and Lawrence White, preceded him in death.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015, at the First United Methodist Church of Marion Center, 204 Main Street, Marion Center, PA 15759.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Nature Conservancy at nature.org/donate.

Interment will be in Lakelawn Memorial Park, Reynoldsville, Pa.

Online condolences may be made at www.deeleyfuneralhome.com.