Mary Evelyn White

Evelyn was the daughter of the late Frank Arthur Davis and Hassie Elnora Smith. Born and raised in Knoxville, Evelyn graduated from Old Knoxville High School before moving to the Washington D.C. area with her husband, John C. White, after John returned, having served honorably in World War II.

When her children were in Elementary School, Evelyn worked in the school cafeteria, where she could be home after school hours and on weekends. After that, she started her career with the Department of the Army, entering as a civilian secretary. She took advantage of all the specialized training offered and worked her way up to Senior Project Manager. In this role, she was responsible for briefing Army Generals on her projects. She and some of her lifelong friends shattered the glass ceiling that was the Army Materiel Command. She worked on dozens of high-level projects for AMC, whose motto is: “If a Soldier shoots it, drives it, flies it, wears it, communicates with it, or eats it – AMC provides it.” An avid reader, Evelyn often requested a local newspaper from her co-workers when they traveled outside the DC Metro area. She loved reading about the local politics of other parts of the world.

She retired from the Dept. of the Army in 1981 to spend more time with grandchildren and to travel, but soon found she had too much time on her hands and decided to return to the workforce. She found a second career working for Areas Appraisers – a real estate appraisal firm in Springfield, Virginia, where she worked 30 more years until retiring at age 87.

Surviving are her two sons, John David White of Falls Church, VA, and Timothy Davis White (Rose) of Ventura, California; brother George Davis (Opal); sister, Barbara Cassady; 10 grandchildren, Heidi Hammond (Adam); Amanda Campos, Britton White, Jason White, Timothy White, Robert Rivera, Matthew Rivera, Danielle Rivera, David Daniels, and Thomas Daniels. She is also survived by 19 great-grandchildren, James Christopher Curtis, Gale Jackson, Miles Jackson, Lilith Jackson, Samantha Garcia, Abigail Garcia, Krista Lindsey, Angela Lindsey, Britton Campos, Joshua Campos, Brandon White, Emily White, Leah Davenport, Penelope Rivera, Jaime Zavala, Olivia Rivera, Lyla White, Paloma Hammond-de Leon, and Benicio Hammond-de Leon. She is further survived by four great-great-grandchildren, Skyla Golden, Leslie Curtis-White, Tristan Lavine, Charles Curtis-White, and many loving nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John Cousins White; grandchild, Charles Alan White; great-grandchild, Timothy James White; brother, Richard Frederick Davis, and sister, Mildred Frances Davis Talley.

Evelyn made the best bunny rabbit pancakes. She had a way of making you feel special and loved, even if you were far away. She had a laugh that sounded like music. She was a feminist. She once said she hoped heaven had ice cream, babies, and line-dried sheets. Her grandchildren all cherished their time with her, and she with them.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, July 30, 2022 at 10:00am in the Chapel of Berry Lynnhurst Funeral home, 2300 West Adair Drive, Knoxville, TN. with an Interment Service to follow at Woodlawn Cemetery, 4500 Woodlawn Pike, Knoxville, TN 37920 with Rev. Charlie McNutt officiating. The Celebration of Life Service will be Live Streamed on the Berry Funeral Home Facebook page.

The family invites friends to share fond memories and sign the online guestbook at www.berryfuneralhome.com.