Herbert Calvin White

1928 - 2018

Herbert Calvin White was born to Sebina E. (Leighty) White and Byron F. White in Mulvane, Sumner County, Kansas, on 30 January 1928. He grew up on the farms where his family moved near Mulvane, Lyons, Valley Center, Kingman, Sun City and back to Kingman during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. He graduated from High School in Kingman, Kansas and went on to play football and attend college at Southwestern in Winfield, Kansas. He also met his wife, Rowena Grace Taylor, at Southwestern College. They were married on 3 September 1949 at Sterling United Methodist Church. Their union bore five children and a steadfast love for each other.
Herb earned his Doctor of Optometry degree at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee in 1952. Dr. White practiced optometry for one year in Hugoton, Kansas and for forty-six years in Dodge City, Kansas. Most of his patients returned for an annual eye exam where Dr. White developed a friendly bond with each patient. He also made farming and ranching high priorities throughout his life. Despite the immense responsibilities of his full-time optometric practice and his farming operations, Dr. White made time to serve in leadership roles of many civic and professional organizations. He participated in most of these for several decades and was elected to be president of most of them for at least one term: President and member of Dodge City Jaycees, Boot Hill Board of Directors, Lions Club- 66 years, USD 443 School Board, Kansas Optometric Association- 65 years, and the American Optometric Association-65 years. He was also a founding member of VOSH – Voluntary Optometric Services to Humanity -leading outreaches to Haiti and Nicaragua. He enjoyed sharing his strong tenor voice as a longtime member of First United Methodist Church Choir. After retiring from Optometric practice in 1999 , he assisted his son, Victor, with the ranch and traveled widely with Rowena.
He died peacefully on 7 September 2018. His loving wife, Rowena, and eldest son, Victor, also passed away earlier in 2018. He was also preceded in death by his parents, sister Nancy Helm (whom he adored), and brother Dr. R. Stephen White (whom he revered).
Dr. White was always eager and available to help his children and extended family. He will be fondly remembered by all who knew him. His surviving family consists of daughter, Julie A. White and Albert Crowell of Ferndale, California, daughter, Annette G. and Greg Neises of Cheney, Kansas, daughter, Dr. Laurie B. White and Steve Stephens of Dodge City, Kansas and son, Philip B. White, of Phoenix, Arizona. He is survived by 18 grandchildren: Cameron Brown, Tara From, Byron White, Erica Patrick, Nick Jenkins, Ariel Villegas, Dr. Jessica Winn, Adrienne Deal, Sarah Watson, Robyn Shaver, Olivia, Cameron, Codey and Calvin Neises, Emily, Elizabeth and Erin Stephens, Nedzad Arnautovic and Erin Hawkins. He will be missed by 32 great grandchildren: Dagny Brown, Kai and Quinn Patrick, Tegan, Emryk and Eban Jenkins, Acen, Anthony, Dominick and Aleena Villegas, Bella and Roxy Giotto, Ella, Ben, Lacy and Quincy Winn, Clover Weisgerber, Piper Deal, Cleo Shaver, Patrick, Emily, Josh, Abigail, Noah, Nathanial, Charlee, Judith, and Jenny Watson, Ernestine, Margaret and Agnes Rout and Sophia Terriquez. He is also survived by his brother, Byron F. White II and wife Gail of La Jolla, California.
Dr. White chose to be cremated. Remembrance Services will be led by Rev. Jerre Nolte and Dr. James Godbey at 11:00 am Saturday 22 September 2018 at The First United Methodist Church in Dodge City, Kansas. Memorials are suggested to the Southwestern College-White Scholarship Fund in care of the Swaim Funeral Chapel. Thoughts and memories may be shared in the online guest book at www.swaimfuneralhome.com.