John "Ted" Edward White

Ted was born in the “dirty thirties” on June 6, 1931 in Shackleton, Saskatchewan. He lived all of his childhood in Swift Current, Saskatchewan until he left home to attend the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. In the fall of 1953, Ted met his love Lorraine at her house via an evening of poker and beer with friends. Ted and Lorraine were married in Saskatoon on November 13, 1954. They moved to Yorkton, Saskatchewan where their first daughter was born. Soon after Ted moved his family to Calgary, Alberta to begin a life-long career with Pan American/Amoco. Ted and Lorraine were blessed with a son and three more daughters over the next 8 years. Ted was an active member on many Catholic parish councils and was sought after for his sound financial advice.

Ted had many talents that produced an abundance of wooden toys, diggers, doll beds, rocking horses and trains for his children and the “kids next door”, painstakingly hand crafted to minute details in his basement or garage workshops. He assisted in building or finishing several houses for him and Lorraine and his children. Always one to count on to show up with a hammer, screwdriver, saw or paintbrush or to fall off a ladder. Ted was good with advice or a strong shoulder to cry on, he had a fun sense of humor, enjoyed a good joke and had an endearing smile. A few years after retirement, Ted and Lorraine built a house in Carstairs, Alberta where they lived until 2012 when they moved back to Calgary.

Ted is survived by his loving wife of nearly 67 years, Lorraine, his children Marie and her husband Kent White and their son Sean and his fiancé Sabrina; Debbie and her husband Mark Cottrell and his son Spencer; Michael and his wife Debbie and their son Connor; Dawn and her husband Tom Braga and their children Mathew (Eilea), Christopher (Kirsten) and Veronica (Michael). Ted was predeceased by his infant daughter, Mary Joan, who passed away in 1963 a few weeks after her birth. Ted is also survived by his younger sister Evelyn Murphy, and several nieces and nephews. Ted’s love for his wife and family was his foundation for all he did. He had many close friends that he cherished and held dear to his heart.

Ted’s faith in the Lord was unwavering and gave him comfort and joy throughout his life and he continually gave thanks for his many blessings. May eternal rest be granted unto Ted and may he walk in the steps of the Lord.

A Funeral Mass will be held at Ascension Catholic Church, 1100 Berkshire Blvd N.W., Calgary, Alberta on Friday, July 9, 2021 at 12:00 PM.

If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made directly to Operations Smile Canada at https://operationsmile.ca.