RON WHITE

1944 - 2021

Ron White, devoted husband, amazing dad, wonderful granddad, teller of terribly inappropriate dad jokes, and champion of editorial and sartorial style, passed away on Tuesday, January 5 at age 76.

Ron was born in 1944 to Lonnie and Madge White in San Antonio. Ron's hard work and talent earned him a scholarship to Keystone School where he created the alternative school newspaper, The Aardvark, and was voted "Most Dignified" all four years in high school. From there he went briefly to Rice University before transferring to Saint Mary's University, where he met and married the love of his life, Sue (Brown), while student-directing her in The Long Christmas Dinner. They would go on to have two children, Shannon (Cogen) and Michael, and two granddaughters, Eliza and Tess, who credits him with giving her her "swagger."

After realizing all he really liked to do was read, Ron switched majors from Physics to English Literature, intending to teach. But his first job was as a photographer at The San Antonio Light, which led to a lifelong love of photography and a long career in journalism as a reporter, movie and drama critic, and features editor, working for both the Light and the San Antonio Express-News. Throughout the '70s, Ron was active in theater in San Antonio, regularly attending and occasionally writing plays performed at Melodrama Theater. In 1973, he won a Robert F. Kennedy Award for Excellence in Journalism for his series, Growing Old. In the late '80s, Ron combined his writing talents with his passion for all things electronic as an executive editor at PC Computing Magazine. He went on to write popular books, including award-winning How Computers Work -- which at close to 2 million copies is one of the all-time best-selling computer books -- How Software Works, How Digital Photography Works, and MP3 Underground, co-authored with his son Michael. This work took him and Sue to Boston and San Francisco before they resettled in San Antonio.

Ron's love of teaching never left him. He taught a course in cinema at Oblate College and regularly held sessions to teach editors and writers the fine points of criticism and persuasive writing. His books teach lay people how their computers actually work by combining plain talk and beautiful illustrations created by Timothy Edward Downs. And he reveled in teaching his children and grandchildren the ins and outs of intricate machines and concepts.

Upon resettling in San Antonio, Ron was able to devote more time to photography and creative projects. The Monte Vista home and garden he and Sue shared is full of his creations, including pen and ink drawings, wood carvings, stone and metal work.

Ron will be deeply missed by his wife Sue, children Michael and Shannon, their partners Shannon Stavinoha and Doug Cogen, grandaughters Tess and Eliza, and so many others. Ron's family will hold a memorial for him once it is safe to gather. We will remember his joy in the beauties of life and the intricacies of technology, his righteous indignation at the unjust or close-minded, and the deep, abiding love that he always shared with his family and friends.