Myrtle Escort White

1933 - 2023

Myrtle Escort White
September 25, 1933 - May 4, 2023
Our beloved mother, Myrtle Escort White, daughter of Ernest and Louise Escort, passed away peacefully on the morning of Thursday, May 4, at 89 years young.
Ms. Myrtle, as she was affectionately referred to as an adult, was born in Beaumont, Texas on September 25, 1933 the oldest of four siblings. Her father, having served in the Navy and who had been stationed in Vallejo, California, became part of the Great Migration of Black Americans from the South to other areas of the country and moved his young family from Beaumont to San Francisco, for better opportunities. Settling in the Western Addition and Potrero Hill areas of San Francisco alongside many other Black families moving from Texas and Louisiana to California, her family joined and became longtime members of Jones United Methodist Church and part of the Jones extended family of young Black families who settled in what had become thriving Black communities in San Francisco.
Ms. Myrtle graduated from San Francisco's Commerce High School in 1951, attended San Francisco State University (then known as San Francisco State College) from 1951-53 as a pre-nursing major, and received her R.N. degree from St. Francis Memorial hospital in 1955, one of only two African American women in her nursing school class. She was always a pioneer and a role model for what a smart young Black girl with confidence and assertiveness could accomplish. She spent the majority of her professional career leading programs to uplift the lives of young people, from teen-aged mothers to children in whom the community had underinvested.
When we were growing up, she was also the mom for all of our friends as our home was the place where our group of friends (both young women and young men) gathered after school and on the weekends. All of our friends from high school and those each of us gathered through the years called her Moms, became part of her circle of chosen children and sought her advice and wisdom for any number of challenges or big life decisions they might be facing. Because she lived in the same house for over 45 years (and never changed her phone number) even as all of the "kids" grew up, they always knew where to find her. Her circle of adopted daughters and boy children is infinite. We are so thankful for all of the love and support she received from all of her children as she aged, especially as her health began to decline over these past few months.
Myrtle Escort White is survived by daughters Lori Suzanne White, Lynn White Kell, and Lisa Diane White, sons-in-law Anthony Tillman. and Kevin Kell; sister Bertha Marie Waterfield sister-in-law, Antonia Johnson, Aunt Betty Lee and numerous nieces, nephews and adopted children and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents Ernest and Louise Escort and brothers Ernest Gene and Charles Melvin.
We will miss her fierceness, her feistiness, her wisdom, and most of all her unconditional love. We could not have had a better woman to emulate as we now must navigate the world without her. One of the last things she told us as her legs grew weak and she could no longer walk unassisted is that she missed being able to dance. In the words of her favorite poet, Maya Angelou, Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances. Mom, we know you are dancing now!
Viewing, Wednesday, May 24, 5-9 pm
Olivet Gardens Chapel
1651 Hillside Blvd.
Colma, CA 94014
Celebration of Life Service
Thursday, May 25, 10 am
Hope United Methodist Church
115 El Campo Drive
South San Francisco, CA
Memorial Contributions
In lieu of flowers the Family requests that Memorial Contributions be made to the Myrtle Escort White Scholarship in the School of the Environment at San Francisco State University,
https://give.sfsu.edu/whitetribute or by check payable to the "University Corporation, San Francisco State" and note "Myrtle Escort White Scholarship Fund" on the memo line.
Office of University Development
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue, ADM 153
San Francisco, CA 94132