Kenneth C. White

1928 - 2021

Kenneth C. White, son of the late Edmund John and Gladys (Cogswell) White passed away peacefully on November 7, 2021in Vernon, CT. He was born May 8, 1928 in the private hospital of Dr. Ernest Pendeleton in Granby, CT. His education started in a one room schoolhouse in West Granby, one of the last existing in the state. Moving to Bloomfield, he attended the Bloomfield Grammar School and two years at Bloomfield High School. He graduated from Simsbury High School and went on to matriculate at Teachers College of Connecticut, now Central Connecticut State University. At Hartford Hospital, Ken worked his way through college, completing four college years in three calendar years, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. Ken enlisted in the US Air Force in October 1950 and after basic training was sent to Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas where he was trained as an operating room technician. He next opened up the Flight Surgeon's dispensary and operating rooms at Amarillo Air Force Base which had been closed after World War II. He was deployed to Japan and Korea during the Korean War as an air-evac technician with the 801st Medical Air Evacuation Group, later known as the 6481st Medical Air Evacuation Squadron. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was awarded the Air Medal for Meritorious Service under hazardous duty during flight in time of war, the American and Korean Presidential Unit Citations, the Korean Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Aircrew Member Badge, the National Defense Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal. Ken was also an active member in the Korean War Veterans Association Chapter 1. He proudly traveled back to the Republic of Korea in 2009 as a member of a multi-national delegation of armed forces who received recognition and thanks for their service and attended the sixtieth anniversary of the signing of the Armistice in Washington DC in 2013. Ken attended the University of Connecticut and earned a Master of Arts and a Sixth-Year Certificate in Administration. He taught Social Studies and English at Hale-Ray High School in Moodus and the Andrew Warde High School in Fairfield, spending the last twenty-nine years at Tolland High School. In addition to teaching, Ken was also an operating room and emergency room technician for twenty-six years. He worked at Park City Hospital, Bristol, Johnson Memorial Hospital, Stafford Springs, and Rockville General Hospital, Vernon. Ken was President of the Teacher's Union, the Tolland Education Association, and President and Director of the Tolland Historical Society for many years and was also the Tolland Town Historian. He was also Committee Chair for Troop 816, BSA for several years. He was also an honorary member of the Orono-Old Town (Maine) Kiwanis. Upon retiring from teaching Ken worked for seventeen years at the Home Depot in Manchester, retiring at the age of eighty. Ken had a noted tenor voice and sang with the Hartford Oratorio Society, the Connecticut Chorale and in several church choirs, often as a soloist. He was predeceased by his wife Beatrice (Bolduc) White, brothers Alton and wife Lucy, Abbott and wife Betty,. He leaves a son Christopher White and his wife Laurie (Sanders) of Tolland, CT a daughter Bea L, White-Ramirez and her late husband, Peter L. Ramirez of Tolland, CT, a son Timothy White and his wife Deborah (Carlson) of Orono, ME. His grandchildren, Nicholas White and his wife Jennifer (Willis) of Vernon, CT, Nathaniel and his wife Hope (Ball) of Attleboro, MA, Carl and Elizabeth White of Orono ME, Beatrice R, White-Ramirez of New Britain, and Kylee White-Ramirez of Tolland, have loving memories of Grandpa's silliness, stories of family history and love of learning. He will be greatly missed by his great grandchildren Evers, Henry, and Alderie White of Vernon, and Clara and Chloe White of Attleboro, MA who would love being with him while he read stories and colored pictures with them. He also leaves three nieces, a nephew and several grand nieces and nephews. Calling hours will be held at the Talcottville Congregational Church, 10 Elm Hill Road, Vernon, CT on Saturday, November 13, 2021 from 1:00-3:00PM; followed by a celebration of his life, with Military Honors. Interment will be at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Talcottville Congregational Church. For online condolences and guest book, please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com