Gary Franklin White

July 13, 1941 – November 17, 2024

Gary Franklin White was reunited with his beloved wife Lynda when he passed away Sunday, November 17, in his Pembroke Pines home surrounded by family. He was 83.

Gary was born in Miami on July 13, 1941, the only son of John Franklin (Frank) and Margaret Ann (Margie) White. He grew up in Hialeah. From his youngest years, he loved the outdoors and joined a youth explorer group, frequently camping in the woods west of Hialeah.

His mechanical expertise emerged at an early age when he joined the Cabriolets, a car club at Hialeah High School, where he graduated in 1959. The group often raced cars at the Hialeah Speedway, where Gary became a key member of the team and a regular at the track.

As a young adult, Gary began working as an Airplane Mechanic for Eastern Airlines when his father got him into a training program that allowed him to work half days and take classes the other half. Throughout his life, he was always very appreciative of this opportunity and still spoke about the training program frequently in his later years.

He met his future bride Lynda Albury at the Pizza Palace, a real-life romance that started at an iconic drive-in restaurant on West 49th Street in Hialeah. They were married in August 1964 and embarked on their life journey together. They started their family in 1966 when their daughter Genie was born, and then welcomed their son Keith in 1968. As native Floridians, Gary and Lynda spent much of their childhoods in the Florida Keys and raised their family in the same tradition, with numerous family fishing trips every year. This lifelong passion gave Gary a unique way to indulge his love for the outdoors, combined with the mechanical acumen needed to keep a boat running.

He was a dedicated father who took his responsibilities seriously. Whether it was teaching them how to swim, throw a ball, change a tire, or be a good listener, Gary made a point of raising capable children and imparting much wisdom to them. One of his favorite sayings was “If you’re gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough.”

A man of many talents, Gary was a gifted carpenter and created many unique furniture pieces over the years. He was a proud DIYer, who also enjoyed homebrewing beer and grilling dinner.

Gary was always grateful for the opportunities he was given and worked hard at every job he ever had. He worked his way up to management at Eastern, overseeing Quality Assurance and often interacting with the FAA. When it became clear that Eastern would not survive, he started moonlighting at Professional Modification Systems, an independent airplane maintenance contractor started by some of his former colleagues at Eastern. His professional FAA authorizations made him a valuable founding member of the organization and he went full-time after a year or so.

A man of very few words, Gary thought a lot more than he spoke, a lesson he could teach us all. When you did get him talking, he lit up with a passion to share his expertise or experience, whether it was describing a trip he took for work or the intricacies of an internal combustion engine.

In the back of his mind, Gary always wanted to homestead a property in Alaska, or live a similar adventure-filled lifestyle. Instead, he chose to raise a family in the suburbs, leaving a huge legacy as an amazing husband and father. Gary was true and kind and pure, and a source of strength to anyone who called him a friend. There will never be another like him, and all who knew him are better for it.

Gary is survived by his daughter Genie O’Loughlin (Mark) and son Keith White (Andrea), along with two cherished granddaughters, Courtney White and Ashlee White, two nieces, Becky Ryder Seyss (David) and Lindsay Ryder, beloved cousins Bill Silvey (Linda), Jeffrey Rodger and James Rodger, as well as numerous other family members and friends who loved him dearly.