Rosa "Brandt" White

Rosa "Fay" (Brandt) White

February 22, 1924. – February 3, 2026

Rosa Fay White died on February 3, 2026 in Eugene, Oregon at the age of 101.Fay was born on February 22, 1924 in Goodlett, Texas, the sixth child of Phillip Matthew and Hattie Bell (Thomas) Huneycutt. Fay had seven sisters and one brother. During her childhood the family resided on several farms in west Texas, where she and her siblings were assigned daily chores such as hoeing and picking cotton and helping with sheep shearing to help sustain the family and keep the farms running. In addition to her responsibilities at home, Fay was also a serious student and served as the valedictorian of her graduating class at Doole High School, in 1942. Shortly after graduation Fay and an older sister moved to Dallas to work in the wartime aircraft industry. The two sisters later applied for Army defense jobs in Hawaii, and together they traveled to Spokane, Washington for preliminary training. During her time in Spokane Fay met and married Oscar Brandt (and didn't make it to Hawaii). Their first son was welcomed in 1945 and after the war the young family moved to Springfield, Oregon. Several years later they welcomed a second son and a daughter. Fay's first job in Oregon was at the Hometown Bakery on Broadway Street in downtown Eugene, where she baked pastries and cakes and learned the art of cake decorating. For the rest of her life, she was known as an excellent baker and made delicious and beautifully decorated cakes for family and friends. Once all her children were in school, she embarked on what would become her life's work as a cook with the Springfield School District School. She started out as a baker at Thurston High School (where they made all the bread, rolls, hamburger buns, cakes, pies, and other deserts from scratch), ultimately rising to the position of kitchen manager at Thurston High School prior to her retirement. She also worked at many other schools throughout the district during her years as a school cook. The bonds she formed with the other cooks lasted her lifetime. Following the death of her first husband, Fay met and married Tommie White, and they shared a happy life together until his death ten years later. Although twice widowed, Fay then embarked on a full and rewarding independent life in Eugene. Over the next twenty-five years she enjoyed gardening, spending time with friends and family, card games (pinochle was a favorite), participation in the Norkenzie Christian Church, and cooking (pecan pies were her specialty). Fay also enjoyed traveling, taking numerous car and bus trips throughout Oregon, visits back "home" to Texas to see siblings, an Alaskan cruise with a friend, a road trip to Yosemite with her son, a trip to Washington D.C., and a trip to Annapolis for her granddaughter's graduation from the US Naval Academy. In addition to her parents, Fay was preceded in death by her two husbands, her younger son Gordon Brandt, and all her Texas siblings. Fay is survived by her older son, Larry Brandt of Menlo Park, California, her daughter, Sharon McCool of Eugene, Oregon, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, along with many other family members and friends who will miss her dearly. The family will hold a private celebration of Fay's life.