Van Gilbert White

FUNERAL HOME

Bliley's Funeral Home - Staples Mill

8510 Staples Mill Rd

Richmond, Virginia

Van White Obituary

Name: Visitation for Van Gilbert White
Start: 2023-09-09T18:00:00.000Z
End: 2023-09-09T21:00:00.000Z
Location: Bliley's Funeral Home - Staples Mill

WHITE, Van Gilbert, 80, of Richmond, VA passed away peacefully on August 26, 2023. He is survived by his daughter, Kelli White Minneci (Johnny); son, Kevin White; and his two grandsons, Jackson and Fisher Minneci. He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Carolyn Lane White; mother, Fannie Texie Perry; father, Kenneth Van Buren White; and sister, Janice L. Kelly. Van loved his family and friends more than anything. His heart was as big as his personality, and he was always willing to help anyone in need. He loved entertaining everyone with his stories which were always interesting, hilarious, and elaborate. He enjoyed fixing, building, and restoring cars, and he had a special love for Corvairs and his beloved "Black Beauty" 1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass convertible. He loved good 'ol roll and rock music, eating a big breakfast, and enjoyed taking his family to Disney World every summer for 18 years in a motor home he built himself. He served four years in the Coast Guard and was awarded a Purple Heart in 1967. He worked in insurance for most of his life until he retired to tinker with his cars.

A memorial visitation will be held at Bliley's Funeral Home on Saturday, September 9, 2023 for both Van and his wife, Carolyn, who passed away earlier this year. The family will receive visitors 2 to 5 p.m. at Bliley's, 8510 Staples Mill Road, Richmond, VA 23228. A Nightingale Tribute will be performed in Carolyn's honor by the Central Virginia Nurses Honor Guard at 2:30 p.m., followed by the Coast Guard honoring Van's service to our country immediately after. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to McGuire VA Medical Center's Hospice unit. All donations must be made through Voluntary Services. Checks may be addressed to "Voluntary Services" and mailed to McGuire VA Medical Center, c/o Voluntary Services, 1201 Broad Rock Blvd., Richmond, VA 23249 (Please place number 1125 in the memo section of the check as this will ensure funds go to Hospice) or you may make a donation online to McGuire VA Medical Center at: http://www.volunteer.va.gov/apps/VolunteerNow/. For condolences, see www blileys.com.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Richmond Times-Dispatch on Sep. 3, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for Van White

Sponsored by Bliley's Funeral Home - Staples Mill Staples Mill Chapel.

5 Entries

Amy Adamchak

October 1, 2023

I am so saddened to learn about the loss of my friend Van. He entertained me with many interesting stories during our 19 months of visits with Heartland. Van truly loved his family and friends and spoke highly of his grandsons. He was one of a kind.

Jack Meagher

September 13, 2023

We all met when I started high school. We had just moved to our house on Grove avenue. Jack, Foster, Bobby, Michael, and Beth. Michael was eight or nine and Beth was about four or five.

Wesley lived next door to us. The rest of the story just happened. I don't have any memory of ever officially meeting Van or any of the other guys.

We easily dominated the neighborhood. It was sometime later when I realized that all of those guys were in and out Moms kitchen all the time.

Van's mother worked at Sears and sometimes works late. So if Van needed an evening meal Mom just took some off of everyone's plate and set a place for Van.

Her attitude was.....
"what's one more"

If you're still hungry eat some jelly bread.. that will fill up the cracks

While Van was in the Coast guard his mother's job moved her to Maryland. So when Van came home for a visit he just showed up at our house. Mom would say Bobby is not here. Just put your stuff in his room. I'm sure he'll show up sooner or later. That's just the way it worked.

And later years Bobby would refer to Van as Catherine's red-headed stepchild.

Van could work on anything mechanical or electrical.

When we were about 15 years old we opened a nightclub in our basement.

It was called the Club Bermuda. In order to ensure some measure of privacy Van rigged up a light that flashed whenever the door to the basement was opened. In the minds of 13 to 15-year-old boys they also required a backup plan. So Van connected another switch to the front door bell. So when we detected the heavy footprints of daddy approaching we would push the button and send him to the front door. This gave us time to clean up our act.

We also worked on cars in the alley behind their house.
On most Saturdays they were always people out there getting their cars worked on. Van and Bobby could fix about anything.

On Saturdays Van's father Mr White would come by.

He was always off on some adventure for work or something like that. He always took anybody that wanted to go. What fun that was.

I had a 1940 Ford. I was not allowed to drive because my grades were not good enough. All of us were always working on it.

I think Van was the first to have a car. His father found him a 1951 yellow Plymouth convertible with a plaid top.

Someone had to take a floor lamp to a relative in Southside. Van had rigged up a power converter in the car. That would operate 110 volt circuit just like you have in the house. So the natural thing to do was to plug in the floor lamp and turn it on. Everyone piled in the van's convertible with the top down and we drove down interstate 95 with the floor lamp illuminated.

We got a lot of shouts and waves that was a lot of fun. Somehow we avoided the police and nothing ever became of it.

When van gets to heaven he has a welcoming committee already there.

There is my brother Bobby, Ronnie Hall, Charlie Hall,
And Sonny Martin.

Foster Meagher

September 5, 2023

We all grew up together in The Fan in the Fifties in the ally of the 1500 block of Grove Avenue tinkering and customizing cars with Van and my brothers Jack & Bobby, all about a year apart. We considered him our brother. Our Mom called him "my red headed son" he was often at the dinner table.He was a joyous person and ready for anything with a great story.Perhaps the most genial person I ever knew. He was a good father and a devoted friend to all. May he rest in peace. There´s a Bills BBQ waiting for you in heaven...check with the guy at the gate.
Foster Meagher...

Lowry Eads

September 4, 2023

Van and I joined the Coast Guard the same day March 3, 1964.
We both were in the same boot camp company, Oscar 54 at Cape May, NJ
for thirteen weeks before going to EM "A" School at Groton Connecticut
for five months. Upon finishing "A" school Van was sent to a 311 foot
Cutter in the Third CG District, I was sent to the Far East Command.
We never saw each other again till we both were at Kings Dominion
pushing baby strollers in the early eighty. We yelled at each other
and waved across the court yard and said "take care". Sadly again we
never connected with each other as the years have passed by.
Van was a good, nice person.
My very best to the family,
Lowry Eads

Alec Abbott

September 3, 2023

Van Gilbert was like a very good uncle to me.
He helped shape me and my career in insurance claims.
I met him when I was 17 and looking at a career in auto mechanics but Van took me under his wing and we even stated The Appraisal Company together a few years later in 1984.
Van was always smiling and or telling a story.
I think of him and Carolyn often and with great fondness.
Kelli,lovingly,called me meathead.
Rest in Peace Beautiful Friends!
Namaste

Showing 1 - 5 of 5 results