William Edward "Bill" WHITE

WHITE, William Edward 'Bill'
Major, U.S. Army (Retired)
1929 - 2012


William Edward White, 83, died peacefully in his home on November 17, with his wife Beverly by his side. Bill was a 20-year U.S. Army veteran in the areas of combat and intelligence, with military support for civil disturbances and natural disasters. His half-century of management experience in public, private and nonprofit sectors included serving almost 40 years in Human Resources, policy development and public information, for several State of California agencies, retiring as Training Manager for the Department of Justice, where he received an Award of Excellence. A visionary, Bill initiated participative management practices in the Attorney General's law offices.

Lifelong learning and the pursuit of excellence, equity, compassion and inclusion have characterized Bill' life, and these values were passed on to his six children, staff and students. Bill was a voracious reader and shared his extensive home library with his children and their friends. He holds a Doctorate in Education and Leadership and degrees in Law, Business and Public Administration, as well as numerous certificates in management, human resources and labor relations. He traveled extensively and studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and in London. As a public administration delegate with the Citizens Ambassador Program, Bill and his colleagues discussed finance and public education with Russian and South African government officials.

Dr. White's teaching experience is extensive and began with an invitation from UC Davis to teach public sector budgeting and finance. As an Adjunct Professor, Bill taught training, human resources, public administration and leadership skills for various colleges locally and abroad, including Los Rios, CSUS, Chapman University, University of San Francisco, National University and in Eastern Europe. He received excellent student evaluations, and enjoyed teaching until he was 80.

Bill was quietly well-connected in his Sacramento community, serving on several community Boards and Commissions, including United Way, Access Sacramento, Sacramento Civil Service and the Los Rios Community College District Foundation. He was the recipient of several recognitions, including Outstanding Leadership Award from the Sacramento Human Rights/Fair Housing Commission and the Distinguished Service Award from CSU, Sacramento, where he served as Alumni President. Bill was a devout Catholic and served as an advisor to the Diocese of Sacramento and the late Bishop.

Bill was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up during the Great Depression. He left the Seminary before ordination and joined the U.S. Army, where he met his first wife and mother of his children, Grace Mary Bisulca, who served as an Army nurse and officer and preceded him in death in 2001. They married in Europe, and once back in the states, drove cross country with their first born to settle in Nevada City, where Bill was hired as a bookstore manager. Bill is survived by his brother Leon, sisters Rochelle and Mary, and his six children: Maureen, Tom (Maureen), Mike (Dolores), Kathie, Rosemary (Chris) and Kevin (Rungnapa), his four grandsons: Nick (Krissy), Zachary, Adam and Colin, and great-granddaughter Blake.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Christ the King Retreat Center, Loaves and Fishes, or your charity of choice. Visitation will be held Wednesday, November 21st from 4 - 7 PM at Nicoletti, Culjis & Herberger, 5401 Folsom Blvd., (916) 451-7284. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 AM on Friday, November 23rd at St. Robert Church, 2243 Irvin Way, Sacramento, with military burial immediately following at St. Mary's Cemetery, 65th & Fruitridge Road.