Raymond White

You could feel the waves of intelligence issuing from him. An inspiring person for whom to work.

Warm smile and temperament coupled with optimism and a keen sense of humor is how I remember Ray. In 1980 he generously made possible an eight-month internship in his lab in Worcester for two of us from Beloit College. In that internship, under the instruction of a senior tech, Annelie James, I worked on the chemistry of binding hDNA to diazotized paper, essentially the primitive precursor to Northern and Western blots. It was exhilarating what Ray made available to me in this intensive...

I knew Ray from the early days in my career at Stanford Biochemistry dept 1975-ish. Recently I identified Ray's photo in a Nova special about James Watson.
Condolences to those who loved Ray.

November 4, 2018

It is with great sadness that I learned about Ray's death. He was a colleague and a mentor who had a profound influence upon my career. As a young and untested administrator working for the state and the university many years ago, we shared some amazing adventures in the creation of special projects (including the Utah Resource for Genetic and Epi Research) and programs that had lasting impact. Ray's intellect and courage made him a visionary. Our paths would cross...

Joan, I am so sorry to hear about this sad news, and my thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. Frankie Hooks Muse

Ray was the founding Chair of the Department of Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah. He recruited me to the Department as a green Assistant Professor in 1995. I'll always remember the twinkle in his eyes, his keen insights and amazing intellect.Thank you for the opportunity and the mentorship! I don't think its a stretch to say that Huntsman Cancer Institute would not be where it is today without Ray's vision, effort and dedication.
My sincere condolences to Joan and the rest of...

Our Remembrance of Ray....a commanding presence that filled the room embracing everyone nearby......a loving husband who would spontaneously invite Joan to dance even when no music was playing....a man whose kinship with and love of the sea shone in smiles and palpable energy when he was near or on the water.....He welcomed Sky into his family and into his heart.

Ray White was my scientific mentor when I joined the faculty at the University of Utah as a neurosurgeon in1987. Using the genetic mapping technology that Prof. White pioneered, we identified several genes important in malignant brain tumors. Ray always welcomed MDs, like me, into his lab. He was committed to the idea that improvements in cancer treatment would come from applying new knowledge about molecular biology to old problems in human medicine.

I worked under Ray in the early 2000s and found him to be a brilliant scientist with such a deep, intuitive understanding of genetics. Ray was always a wonderful, supportive mentor and a good friend. After that time, we'd have lunch every so often or chat about science and genetic approaches in his office at the Gallo. I was continually impressed with his creativity and insights into science, people and the world. We've lost a great man who impacted the lives and careers of so many...