Morris Kendall White

Morris Kendall White, age 95 (he used the name Kendall) was born June 19, 1930, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was the son of the late Lowell White of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Marcia Kendall of Glenwood, Indiana. He attended DePauw University, University of Notre Dame and graduated from Florida State University. He taught school for several years in Florida, Ohio and northern Indiana teaching English and History. He died August 26,2025.

While still a young child he accompanied his Grandmother White to Europe where he and his grandmother successfully rescued a young boy, Ken's age. They were forced to run to the ditch by the road they were walking on when strafed by the Luftwaffe where she covered them by lying over them. They escaped and the child ultimately became a professor here in the U.S.

He also did double piano with Oscan Levant in Cincinnati on Rhapsody in Blue when he was in Junior High School for concert program. The teacher forbade him to attend because of an incident in school. His comment on that was the fact said teacher came up to him after the concert standing in the white tuxedo his grandfather had given him and said something to the effect "you think you're smart, don't you". This is Kendall we are talking about.

During some of his college years he was privileged to accompany Rudy Vallee several times and received Christmas cards from him until Mr. Valee's death, tuned Cole Porter's piano at his home in Peru and met many other of the well-known musicians of day. Hoagy Carmichael taught him to play Stardust when he was incredibly young. His Grandmother was highly active in keeping the musical scene going in Cincinnati which allowed him to meet many classical artists of the time.

He leaves two children from his marriage in the 50's in northern Indiana. In 1990 he married Shirley Vanest of Sardinia, Indiana and they shared 35 years together. Life with Kendall has been a joy and I have met many remarkably interesting and talented people during these years. The music is gone...