Pia Kurusu White

Pia Kurusu White age 100, of Grand Rapids (formally Muskegon), Michigan, passed away on September 7, 2026. Pia was born in Rome Italy. Their home was near the Porta Pia Gate and so they named her Pia. She enjoyed the advantages of a childhood growing up in several European and South American countries. She was schooled around the world and her activities included skiing the Alps and learning to adapt to meeting new and interesting people. She found her first long term home to be Japan before the start of World War II. During the war years in Japan, she was a teacher of 4th grade math and science, a director of a Day Nursery in Tokyo, and the volunteer director of the St. Luke Hospital, also in Tokyo. With the end of the war and the coming US occupation, she became an interpreter under the Chief of Police of Karuizawa, Japan. From there she became a liaison officer for the US Government. It was during this period that she met and married her husband Ken White who was currently serving in the US Army. Moving to the United States with Ken, she became a naturalized citizen. Pia found her fluency with multiple languages, including English, and experiences with different cultures and customs to be helpful to her. Pia’s working career spanned many years starting with designing, modeling, and manufacturing her own line of high fashion women’s clothing. Pia later changed course and applied herself to selling real estate, enjoying a very successful career. She retired as the commercial property manager for a property management and sales company. Through the years her hobbies were numerous as there was nothing she would not try. In her spare time, she developed her artistic skills by painting and sculpting in clay. One of her passions was the game of golf. An example of good health, Pia used a pull cart until the age of 79 when not playing in a league. She enjoyed being outdoors and the accuracy of her game could humble most of us. Pia’s strength, which she shared with everyone, was a positive approach to life and every challenge we might need to face. One of her personal victories and inspirational stories involved successfully winning her fight against a rare form of cancer which could have taken her in mid-life. Pia’s last days were spent recounting what she referred to as a fortunate, beautiful and interesting life with all the trimmings. Pia was preceded in death by her father, Saburo Kurusu, and her mother, Alice Little, her husband F. Kenneth White, and her son Kenneth Jay White. She is survived by her sons, Wesley J. White and Warren B. (Christina) White, grandchildren, Amy (Paul) Wilcox and Aaron (Angela) White, great grandchildren, Ashley (Matthew) Trentacosta, Garrett Nauta, Dylan White, Graysen Nauta, Paige Wilcox, Maddox White, and (3) great, great, grandchildren. Nephew, William J. Maddox IV (Lisa) and niece, Charlotte Maddox, and niece, Susan (Gregg) Dalton.