Robert James White

Visitation
Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm at R. W. Owens and Son Funeral Home, 200 S Santa Fe, Wolfe City, Texas 75496
Funeral Service
Thursday, May 2, 2024, 11:00 sm at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1200 E Joe Ramsey Blvd, Greenville, TX 75402
Interment
Webb Hill Cemetery, Co Rd 1023, Wolfe City, TX 75496 (Intersection of FM 2358 and County Roads 1025 and 1023 west of HWY 34)
Robert James White passed to Glory early Sunday morning. He is survived by his wife Peggy, his sons Bill, and his wife Jennifer, and Mathew and his wife Tracey and their children, Canon, Kirsten, Max, Miles, and Mikaela. Robs' surviving sister, Cheryl Raborn lives in Junction City, KS, and Sister-in-law, Linda White lives in Hesston, KS. In addition, Rob and Peg fostered and mentored dozens of young men and women who consider them as parents or siblings.
Rob is preceded in death by his parents, Frank E., Sr. and Treva M. White and his older brother, Frank E., Jr.
Rob's life was one dedicated to service, to family, community, and country. He made a surprise appearance on June 2, 1944, in Corpus Christi, TX while Treva visited Frank on leave from the Navy during WWII, two months earlier than expected.
Rob's parents moved from Alma, KS to Cedar Vale, KS where Frank owned and operated a dairy farm. Rob and his brother and sister learned hard work and the value of service to others. Rob graduated from Cedar Vale High School in 1962 and began attending Washburn University in Topeka KS where he earned a baccalaureate degree in history and political science and met his future bride, Peggy Crumrine from Barrington, IL. While attending college Rob was a student jailer in Shawnee County, beginning a life in law enforcement and going on to become a deputy sheriff there.
He was on duty in 1966 when a major tornado struck Topeka, KS. He was driving through the city with other deputies, trying to locate the funnel cloud. His car and another car turned a corner, occupied by a tall building which was hiding the object of the search. The deputies accelerated through the base of the storm, trusting God and momentum to keep them on the ground.
While serving as a deputy, Rob became an accidental K9 partnered officer. The Sheriff sent Rob to pick up the dog ordered by the Sheriff for himself. The dog bonded to Rob in the process and Prince and Rob went on together, including transferring together to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
Rob married Peg on 27 January 1967 in the face of the largest blizzard to hit the Southwest in one hundred years. Fifty-six of the two hundred invitees were able to attend.
The draft took Rob into the Marine Corps Reserve and in 1968 he completed training and returned to his essential civilian employment in law enforcement. Seven months after discharge from training, he reported to Highway Patrol training where the class chose a motto of "Honor through Courtesy and Service." This class had the highest ever average to that time on the firing range.
Three days after graduation from Highway Patrol training, Rob's oldest son, Robert William (Bill) was born. The Highway Patrol assigned Rob to Kansas City and so, bill never lived in the home in Topeka that that Rob and Peg had built.
Rob worked on a murder for hire investigation, jointly with agents of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The killing had taken place at an interstate rest stop and Rob was the one to find the critical piece of evidence, a credit card receipt that tied the suspects to the location. The agents were impressed and suggested that Rob should apply.
Matthew James was born in May 1970. He got to start his new life where he was born, but the family was about to move again.
In 1971, Rob joined ATF and was subsequently transferred to Oklahoma City, OK. Mistakenly, ATF assigned a whole group of new agents to OKC and transferred all the experienced agents to other offices. Rob, having the most law enforcement experience of the group, took on the role of training officer, requesting training materiel from headquarters. This successful act resulted in Rob becoming ATF's Agent of the Year in 1976. While living in Norman, OK, Rob and Peg began fostering children, bringing in young people with problems that would not allow them to stay at home or with their natural parents. Even after no longer working in a formal foster program this became a theme for them of becoming a surrogate set or second set of parents to younger friends, friends of Bill and Matt, church members, and anyone who had a need for advice, direction, or a loving authority.
In 1976, Rob received a new assignment as the Resident Agent in Charge of the Tulsa, OK ATF office. This assignment lasted for 12 years and included involvement with Scouting, trips to Philmont and Northern Tier, vacations driving across the USA to New Hampshire or Seattle and stopping at every battlefield, museum, and point of interest along the way.
1987 brought another transfer, this time to Dallas, TX. Rob and Peg chose to live in Allen, TX. Bill left for college. Matthew had two more years of high school and would join the Navy after. ATF established new SWAT-style teams called Special Response Teams, and Rob found a whole new calling, helping to establish the first team, developing the training, and selecting the members, taking his own marksmanship to new highs along with a new level of camaraderie with his fellow agents.
In February of 1991, the investigation of David Koresh and the Branch Davidians came to a head. Rob was one of the principal tactical planners. Word of the raid, though, had reached the Davidians aged of time and they set an ambush for the approaching ATF agents. Four agents died. Rob was injured. He ignored his injuries and under an eventual cease-fire, began helping to recover the dead and wounded. He did not report his injuries and assumed a perimeter guard position until relieved by FBI agents. These events lead, two years later, to the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in OKC. Rob assisted with the investigation which included inquiries among Native American who would speak to no other "fed" except the one they found trustworthy.
In 1996, Rob retired from ATF. He and Peg moved to Wolfe City, TX. Rob wanted to raise horses. They bought a home and land and brought a horse from his father's farm in Cedar Vale.
Retirement was short lived, or at least tempered. ATF and the Treasury Department wanted to continue to benefit from his service and experience. He would travel to Georgia to teach classes at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center teaching marksmanship and arson investigation. Hed also teach marksmanship to pilots for Homeland Security after September 11, 2001. The Hunt County Sheriff soon became aware of the new arrival in his county and approached Rob with an offer. Rob accepted the position as Chief Deputy and held that position for 12 years, teaching, training, and mentoring more young law officers, running for Sheriff himself. Although he did not win, he stayed on with the County as a deputy Constable, and later as a part-time bailiff at the courthouse.
In 2003, Matthew, and his first wife Melissa, made Peg and Rob and Oma and Opa with the birth of Maximillian Nicholas White, followed by Miles Augustus in 2006 and Mikaela Ann in 2008.
Pancreatic cancer ended this life of continuous service to others in the early hours of April 28th.
Son, brother, cousin, uncle, husband, deputy, Marine, Father, Trooper, Special Agent, Cub Master, Scout Master, Grandfather, Instructor, Chief, Constable, bailiff, and always friend and mentor.