Anthony James Whyte

Died Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at North Mississippi Medical Center after a brief illness.

You started your life in London, moving to the outskirts when very young, to a humble home in Didcot. You trained as an Electrical Engineer, completing your formal education in England, but you were very much a lifelong learner, always taking courses, expanding your horizons and exploring new frontiers.

Your varied career started in England with British Railways and moved through many different worlds, including the Southern Electricity Board in Abingdon, Berkshire, a two year stint in the Royal Air Force, the UK Atomic Energy Authority, then the adventure over to Canada in 1963, with your first wife Jean and children John and Julie, 6 and 4 years old, in tow. Your career encompassed working with Atomic Energy Canada, Ford Motor Company, Hawker Siddeley Canada and Canadian Car Pacific. With jaunts back and forth to England to run a rustic bed and breakfast in southern England, work for the Ministry of Overseas Development and other diverse endeavors, there was never a dull moment for your family!

After some 20 years on and off in Canada, your work took you to the next chapter of your life in the Southern States and eventually to the world of Anne and the Archie family in Corinth. Your 30 years together were marked with travel to England, Europe, Mexico and all over. When Corinth Machinery closed, you did an amazingly long commute to Arkansas, but always came back to Anne and the Robbins Nest. Another stint at a bed and breakfast some years later, and finally retirement, volunteering and yard work. Lots and lots of yard work! You not only loved and nurtured Anne’s children, but saw them through their life’s joys and challenges, weddings, births of children and grandchildren.

Your life in the South was punctuated with travel and you never failed to keep in touch with your wide circle of friends and family throughout the US, Canada, England and Europe.

For 78 years we had the honor of your presence as an adventurer, a loving brother, father, grandfather, an able professional, a fine gentleman and a good friend to all. We loved your unerring kindness, compassion, honesty and integrity. Your love for your children and grandchildren, in both your Southern and Canadian families, was immense, and right through to the end, it was all about everyone else and how you could make their lives just a little bit better.

You will be sorely missed....

“Don’t worry” you’d say, “it’ll all work out....”

A celebration of Tony’s life will be held in Vancouver shortly, contact Julia McCaig at (604) 947-9722 [email protected] for information.

Survivors include two sons, John Whyte of Dragoon, Az. And Les Archie (Shelley) of Corinth; one daughter, Julia McCaig (Brian) of Bowen Island, B.C.; two step daughters, Robin Cox (Chip) of Paducah, Ky. And Allison Pittard (Carey) of Jersey, Ga.; one brother, Donald Whyte of England; one sister, Brenda Hilton of England; one sister in law, Brenda Whyte of France; eleven grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Mr. Whyte was preceded in death by his parents, Michael James and Jean Johnston Whyte; his wife, Anne Whyte; and one brother, Terry Whyte.

Arrangements under the direction of McPeters Funeral Directors, Corinth, MS.