James Charles White Sr.

Charlie White passed away on Saturday, February 6, 2021, at the age of 89 after an eight year courageous battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Charlie was born the youngest of seven children in Liberty, MS, to Hugh & Eunice White. The family moved to Baton Rouge, LA, when Charlie was 10 years old. He excelled in athletics at Istrouma High School, where he was a member of the football & basketball teams. Fun fact: Charlie scored the 1st touchdown in Baton Rouge Memorial Stadium. While serving four years in the US Air Force during the Korean War, Charlie married the love of his life, Elizabeth “Betty” Robertson & their 68-year relationship was the epitome of what a good partnership should be. Charlie was a loving & fun father, brother, uncle, cousin & friend, as recalled through countless stories created at family reunions, vacation trips, bar-b-ques, LSU football & basketball, & gatherings large & small “out in the country”. He loved music, even into his final days, as he listened to songs that brought a smile & some “dancing”. We knew he was thinking, in the words of one of his favorite songs by singer James Brown: “I feel good!” Betty & Charlie raised three children in Baton Rouge, where they resided while Charlie worked as President of Louisiana Welding Supply. After retirement, he & Betty moved to Independence, LA, where they lovingly & meticulously restored the 150 year old family house on 67 acres of property with ponds, wooded areas filled with deer, turkey, & other wildlife, & trails leading to a creek, creating a beautiful & inviting setting for all who visited. A role model & mentor for so many who benefited from his gentle wisdom & learned through observation of his strong work ethic & attention to detail. His strong faith was manifested through the life he lived & through action: he was an involved member of Goodwood Baptist Church, where he served as deacon & coached the church’s boys’ baseball team. After moving to Independence, Charlie was active at First Baptist Church. Words cannot fully convey the kind, fun loving, genuine character of Charlie White. His was a life well lived & will be well remembered by all who had the good fortune to cross his life path. Charlie is survived by his wife, Betty; children, Doug White & wife, Suzanne, both of Baton Rouge, LA, Jim White of Los Angeles, CA, & daughter, Cathy White Tugwell Bartels & husband, Glenn, both of Baton Rouge, LA; grandchildren, Matt Tugwell of Baton Rouge, LA & Thomas Tugwell of Pittsburgh, PA; & numerous nieces & nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents & his six siblings. Visitation will be held at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA, on Tuesday, February 9, 2021, from 10:00AM until the time of funeral services at 12:00PM. Burial will immediately follow at Greenoaks Memorial Park. Memorial donations may be made in Charlie’s name to: Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Rd., Baton Rouge, LA 70808, ATTN: Alzheimer’s Research or visit: www.pbrf.org/donate or First Baptist Church of Independence, 548 W 5th St., Independence, LA 70443. The family would like to extend a special thanks to our loving family members who cared for Charlie & supported Betty during the last two weeks. Family & friends are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.greenoaksfunerals.com