Paul Hamilton White

The sun has set far too soon on Paul Hamilton White. He passed away unexpectedly but peacefully at his beautiful Whidbey Island home on June 17, 2025. Paul was 74 years young.
Paul's life can be distilled to a single concept: he was a consummate "infracaninophile" or "lover of the underdogs". Paul made everyone a friend, treated everyone with respect, and saw value in everyone. And he lived his life with humor, love, and above all, a smile on his face.
Paul along with his older brother, Bill, and younger sisters, Christine and Barbara were children of Rev. William D. White, a Methodist minister, and their beloved mother, Carol. In those days, preachers were shuffled from town to town every 4 or 5 years. Paul was lucky to be in one location for his entire high school years. He attended Rockford East High School graduating in 1969, and he remained a proud E-RAB throughout his life!
Paul was a renowned athlete during his high school years, demonstrating excellence in football and wrestling. Paul was the 1969 Big Eight and District Champion wrestler, completing the year undefeated. His football career began under the guidance of Coach Jerry "Sparky" Stalcup. Coach Stalcup, who played both ways on the 1960 Rose Bowl team, "made his players want to play". He hung motivational signs in the ancient locker room "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog" and "It has got to hurt to help". Paul carried those mottos throughout his life.
At 6' 1" and 187 lbs, Paul was named the 1968 Defensive Lineman of the year and was nominated to the Big Eight Conference football team. Paul's varsity team was remembered for having shut out opponents in six of seven wins. Paul's former football player and minister father was always in the stands. By day he was pious and reserved. At the game he was smoking a pipe while bellowing out his support. If a few expletives slipped out, his rationale was, "All of those words are in the Bible just not in that order." Much to his father's pride, in 1969, Paul was awarded a football scholarship to Western Illinois University where he played as a defensive lineman for 3 years. In his senior year, Paul turned down the college football scholarship in favor of protesting the Vietnam war after school instead of attending football practice. And so, the "infracaninophile" was born. Football built in Paul a strong moral and ethical foundation based on hard work, a team approach to any task, and commitment to his greater community.
Paul's 41-year career was defined by his inherent need to help people and to make their lives better. His reach spanned his employees, his clients, and their families. He believed in the value of every person, and in supporting the positives that an individual has to offer.
He received a BA in Psychology at Western Illinois University in 1973, a Master's degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1979, and became a Licensed Professional Counsellor. His career began in 1975 at the H.M. Adler Mental Health Center, a short term-intensive treatment program for children with emotional and developmental challenges, where he provided direct care and clinical supervision and eventually became program director. In 1980, he became Behavioral Treatment Director to a community-based residential program for adults with disabilities, RFDF Orchard Hill, in Madison. From 1986 to 2016, Paul was on the academic staff at UW-Madison's Waisman Center, a Center of Excellence for Developmental Disabilities. There he developed a program called "Community TIES" that provides outreach behavioral consultation to people with disabilities living in the community and their families. As part of this work, Paul developed seminars on positive behavioral supports (Managing Threatening Confrontations) that have been offered extensively across Wisconsin, in Washington State, and in Australia.
In 2003, as Program Manager, he assumed responsibilities for all activities at the UW-Madison's Waisman Center Community Outreach Wisconsin program. He managed a range of innovative programs supporting community inclusion for people with disabilities, including Sound Response, the Crisis Response Program, the TIES psychiatric clinic, Wellness Inclusion Nursing, and the Training and Consultation Program. He served on several boards including the Encore Studio for Performing Arts, Capital Times Kids Fund, Family Support and Resource Center, Friends of the Waisman Center, and Responsive Solutions, Inc. Notably, he was recognized for Championing Quality of Life for People with Disabilities in 1997 and won several awards: the 1978 Francis J Gerty Award; the 1989 Dane County Distinguished Professional Service Award; the 2002 Dane County Community Support award; the 2003 Joyce Erdman Youth Service Award; and an award for Outstanding Service to the Capital Times Kids Fund from 2005-2015.
Paul retired in 2016 with Emeritus status from University of Wisconsin and received a Certificate of Commendation from the State of Wisconsin Governor based on his commitment to public service that contributed to the well-being and quality of life of the citizens of Wisconsin. At Paul's retirement party, Monica Bear (Dane County Human Services) said, "To watch Paul with families and their children with disabilities was to receive a masterclass in empathy, respect and hope".
Paul rightly earned high praise in his professional career, but by far, his best accomplishment was being Dad to his daughter, Jenny. As parents, he and Jenny's mom, Ellen, believed it was best to throw money at a hobby to keep Jenny busy and out of trouble, so horses it was! Paul was Jenny's Dad through and through. He was a parent, friend, and co-conspirator in adventures. Some of his parenting skills may be questionable, like a situation involving Jenny, a bicycle and broken front teeth. Their escapades sometimes landed one or both in the emergency room. Jenny adores Paul and continues to tell Pauly stories whenever the opportunity arises. Paul and Jenny remained very close and never failed to make one another laugh. He was proud to call her his daughter.
Paul was a people-collector. He could and did talk to anyone at any time, most often leaving them laughing. He was a compassionate listener. He made it clear, particularly to children and young people how much they were valued, respected, admired, and cherished. Children were drawn to him and he to them. Uncle Paul introduced many children to the "let go of my hand" shenanigans. Generations of future children will learn this gag thanks to Paul.
There could have been a more optimistic man than Paul, but it's hard to think of one. He greeted each day as a gift to be explored and enjoyed. He was immensely attached to the family cottage in Door County and built years of great memories there with family and friends. His love of the water began there with numerous versions of the motorboat, the White Heron, as well as sail boats and kayaks.
Paul's love of epic adventures came honestly. He would recount tales of his father taking his young family, including a baby, on a circumnavigation of the Door County peninsula in a small motorboat in inclement weather and harrowing seas! In 1979, Paul and his friend Eric, completed a 9-day sailing trip from Egg Harbor, WI to Mackinac Island, MI in a 22.5' Kittlywake with a shoal draft keel. They sailed from the Door Peninsula to Lake Huron, and under the Mackinac Bridge to Mackinac Island. There were many "close brushes with fate".
The sailing trips gave way to kayaking expeditions. These trips, across Death's Door on Lake Michigan and around the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior often involved white knuckle paddling on the temperamental Great Lakes he loved so well. Paul and Greg never said, "No, we can't do that!". It was more: "When do you want to go?" When Paul moved to Whidbey Island, he was challenged with learning the ways of the ocean with its tides, currents, and weather. He took to the Salish Sea and loved exploring her fickle ways. His early experiences with challenging expeditions held steady into his adult life. He circumnavigated South Pender Island with Jacqueline and brother-in-law Colin, in the company of orcas. He also circumnavigated Whidbey Island culminating in paddling the last leg under the Deception Pass Bridge.
Paul's athleticism extended into his adult life. One of his first loves was running. He qualified for the Boston Marathon and his fastest marathon time was 2:58:44, about 6.25 minutes a mile! A love of bicycles was born on the sweet farmlands of Door County and developed into a serious bicycle racing career with the Brazen Dropouts in Madison. Paul was integral to the formation of the annual Wheels on Willy Bike Criterium. Paul loved racing in Super Week, attending spring training at the Goat Farm, and his group rides with the Cronometro gang. Maintaining his fitness level was important, so the summer cycling group transitioned to classic and skate skiing in the cold Wisconsin winters. He loved all his winter adventures in Minnesota, Michigan, Washington, and Canada, but he loved Winter Park in Minocqua, WI the best. Paul completed the ~50 km American Birkebeiner ski race in Hayward, WI in seven times. A good ski day always ended with a drink, a hot tub, dinner, and then out to look for a "bar fight". Paul stopped ski racing when he was passed by a "one-legged" skier.
Paul lived much of his life in the Midwest, but when he met, and eventually married, Jacqueline, his view shifted to the West Coast. A lover of sunsets, he and Jacqueline found the perfect 3 acre home on Whidbey Island with a view of the ocean and the mountains. He was a gentleman farmer. Together with Jacqueline, they explored much of the Pacific Northwest including many trips to British Columbia, including Victoria, Saturna Island, Tofino/Ucluelet, Powell River, Alert Bay, and the Okanagan Valley. Paul became an honorary Canadian as he was embraced by Jacqueline's Canadian family.
Paul and Jacqueline embarked on their own set of adventures including bicycle trips to the Czech Republic, Nova Scotia, and the Alsace region of France. They hiked, biked, kayaked, and travelled their way through Paul's retirement. Paul enjoyed delivering food for needy children and their families for Whidbey Island Nourishes. Paul did about 18 years worth of activity in his 9 years of retirement in the Pacific Northwest.
"Cattle die and kindred die, but what does live forever are the deeds of a good man".
~Amos Thies (Huck Was Here, Appalachian Trail, 2021).
Paul Hamilton White was a good man.
We love you Paul White. We miss you. As we look around into the eyes of the all the people you have touched.we see you shining back at us.
Paul was predeceased by his father, Rev. William D. White and mother, Carol. He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Walisser; daughter, Jenny (George) Banks, brother William F. White; sister Christine White (Edward Ryan); sister Barbara White (Laura Anderson); niece, Emma Ryan; nephew Nick (Jenny) White and children, Elsie and Cameron; nephew Joey (Tahzeem) White and sons, Kian and Shaan; nephew Andy (Caitlin) White and son Taron. His loss is grieved by his Canadian family of Sharon Straathof and son, Connor; Brian (Susan) Walisser and daughter Rachael (Logan Broeckaert) Walisser and son Ryan; Colin (Beverley) Walisser and daughters, Andrea and Allison; Denise (Jerry) Babichuk and daughter, Olivia; and a large herd of adoring friends far too many to mention.
An open house/celebration of life for Paul will be held at his Whidbey Island home on August 3, 2025 from 1 to 4 pm (RSVP to jac_walisser@hotmail.com for address) and a Madison, WI based celebration of life will be held on October 16, 2025 from 3 to 6 pm at the Olin Pavilion (1156 Olin-Turville Ct. Madison, WI 53715). Limericks are welcome.
Donations may be made in memory of Paul to the Waisman Center at https://secure.supportuw.org/giveto/PWhite. A favorite Washington organization is Whidbey Island Nourishes at Donate - WHIDBEY ISLAND NOURISHES.