Edward Montcalm White

Edward Montcalm White, age 82, passed away on Thursday, December 19, 2024. Ed was born on July 4, 1942 in Warwick, New York, the first-born child of Edward Alexander White and Lauretta Alma White (née Fredette).

He spent his early years in Lansing, Michigan and Terre Haute, Indiana. He attended Purdue University where he majored in Engineering and participated in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. Upon graduation, he served a term as an officer in the United States Army in Korea. At the end of his term, he returned to Purdue and obtained his Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Ed started his engineering career with IBM in Lexington, Kentucky, where he met and married Beverly Backstrom; they later divorced. Moving with IBM to Boulder, Colorado, he was involved in the early development of photocopiers, holding several patents. After a short assignment in Tucson, Arizona, he returned to Boulder to work for Storage Technology and later Ball Aerospace where he was part of the team that developed the Hubble Telescope. He was a member of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Ed was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Boulder where he sang in the Chancel Choir and served in numerous ways throughout the years. A man of strong faith, his church community was important to him.

Loving the mountains and living near Rocky Mountain National Park, Ed enjoyed hiking, camping and skiing. He loved to share these outdoor activities with his extended family when they came to visit. Ed was also a skilled woodworking hobbyist who especially enjoyed woodturning. Ed spent his final years in Newburgh, Indiana, living with a niece and then at Newburgh Healthcare.

He is survived by his brother, Mark White, his former brother-in-law and childhood friend, Lester Mason, and seven nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters, Mary Seibert and Genevieve White.

The family wishes to express their gratitude for the loving care of all who helped Ed throughout the years, especially in his final years. Thank you to his Gunbarrel neighbors in Colorado and to the staff at Newburgh Healthcare, Deaconess Palliative Care and Deaconess Hospice in Indiana.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, February 1, at 2:00 p.m. at Morningside Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 8419 Newburgh Road, Evansville, IN 47715