Jay Evander White

Jay Evander White, 78, passed away Sunday, October 17th, 2021. He had been briefly in hospice at Willamette Springs Memory Care, where he had resided for the previous three years. He passed his tendency towards procrastination on to his daughters, which partly explains the timing of this obituary. Jay was born on November 2nd, 1942, to Ruth Johanna White (Wurfelman) and Charles Samuel White in Detroit, Michigan. The family settled in Palmdale, California in the early 1960s, and Jay went on to major in science at Irvine. After graduation, he worked for many companies, designing and perfecting medical equipment. Jay lived a life filled with intrigue and adventures, including three to five wives, who can really be sure? The world map he kept on his wall was covered with pins indicating his travels around the globe. Among them was an epic trip in the early 1970s, when with friends, he sailed a small boat to numerous Pacific Islands. He always kept his companion from those days: a rubber duckie. He loved to tell the tale of nearly being separated from this duckie during a swim in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Fortunately, they both made it safely back to the sailboat, and on to further travels. During his life he made many trips throughout Europe, East Asia, and the Americas. He was justifiably proud of the time he spent designing and setting up a clean lab in Puerto Rico with his then-wife Jennifer, mother of his two younger daughters. In the US, he lived in California, Texas, and Utah, before relocating to work in Singapore. After a decade of expat life, he retired happily to Corvallis to be near family. He often said that after all his adventures, his greatest pleasures were walks along the riverfront, meeting friendly dogs at the Farmers Market, and a beer at the Peacock. In his last couple of years, his memory was minimal, but his sweet (sometimes salty) personality was intact. At his home in memory care, he was swift to help push fellow residents’ wheelchairs, assist them at the table, or protect them from perceived threat. Dad never started a fight -- but he never hesitated to jump in if he thought someone was in trouble. Jay’s oldest daughter remembers the time a small plane crash-landed near the highway after he picked her up from the airport. Without a word, he pulled over, sprinted across eight lanes of highway, and ran to render aid to the pilot. He was fearless. Jay was predeceased by his parents, and by his first ex-wife Hope White (née Walsh), mother to his eldest daughter. He is survived by his three daughters Vesper White, Rae Chapman (Justin), Amelia White (Brady), ex-wife Jennifer Simmons, brothers Tom and Chuck, sister Melody, their spouses, and several nieces and nephews. His ashes will be divided between his loving daughters who plan to scatter them in places Dad loved: dog parks, gardens, beaches, and bars (sshhhh). His family would like to extend their grateful thanks to the overworked care staff of Willamette Springs, and the devoted staff of Serenity Hospice. Dad was many things: an inventor, an adventurer, a fearless protector, a ladies’ man, a curmudgeonly barfly, a sometimes difficult but always fiercely loving father. He was never afraid to show affection and pride in his daughters. Despite his oft-described “black dog” of depression, he always had a wonderful sense of humor and joy, and the ability to put others at ease. He had the sweetest smile. We miss him every day. Dad’s favorite and oft-repeated Bible verse was simply “God is love”.

Tributes

Jay Evander White

November 2, 1942 - October 17, 2021