John James White II

JOHN JAMES WHITE, II
A godly man. A good man. Loved, admired, and respected.
John James White, II (Johnny) was born on January 15, 1952, to the marriage of John James White and Paulina Hansborough White. His first 14 years were spent on Kentucky Avenue in southwest Washington, D.C. In 1966, the family moved to Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia when it was John's "turn" to be the caregiver for Grandpa White. Surrounded by a loving family, Johnny blossomed. His best friends were his cousin Michael White and his neighbors Michael Fuller and Conrad Hawkins. At the time of his passing, Johnny was a Deacon at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia.
Johnny graduated in 1970 from J.E.B. Stuart High School (now known as Justice High School) in Falls Church, Virginia. Although Johnny enjoyed boats and cars, his first love was planes. He obtained his pilot's license as a teenager. His love of flight influenced his career. He attended George Mason University, before transferring to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. There he became a charter member of Iota Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Apha Fraternity on March 10, 1974. While at UVA he met his wife, Mary Barbara Stewart. He graduated with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He went on to get a Master's Degree in Science Systems Management from the University of Southern California. In addition, he successfully completed the Senior Executive Service (SES) Candidate Development program at Harvard University.
Johnny began his career at the Naval Air Test Center Patuxent River in Maryland. He participated in the test and evaluation of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat – a US Navy fighter jet. He also attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School where he completed the Test Project Engineer course. His next assignment was with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Johnny traveled the world investigating plane crashes. In 1986, NTSB loaned Johnny to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to help determine the cause of the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. As a result of this disaster, NASA established the Office of Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance. Johnny was one of the first staff hired in this new office.
When Johnny retired from NASA, he went back to his NTSB roots – to the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA). He worked in the Engineering and Air Safety Division, providing support to airline pilots with a focus on accident investigations.
Johnny was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Sheila Daggs and Paula Hawkins and her husband Albert. He leaves to cherish his memory Mary, his loving wife of 51 years, his sons Ronald (Hillary) and Brian, grandchildren RJ and Makayla, his sister Adrienne Heard (Calvin) and god child, many nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and friends.
John James White, II. A godly man. A good man. Loved, admired, and respected.