Mr. Donald DW W. White

Donald W. White Sr.

Ice Cream innovator, Sailor and Collector of Naval & Western History

Donald W. White, Sr., 80, of Scituate, MA, Retired co-owner, Senior Vice President and Director of Hendrie’s Ice Cream, Inc., and co-owner of New England Frozen Foods died at South Shore Hospital on September 1st, surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with Pneumonia. Son of the late Esther M. (Kelley) and Alan R. White of Milton, he was born in Boston and lived in Milton, MA before moving to Scituate in 1954.

Mr. White attended and graduated from Milton Academy, Babson College and Cornell University. He served as a first Lieutenant in the USAF during the Korean War.

In 1954, Mr. White joined White Brothers Milk Company of Quincy, MA, a family owned business since 1913 that was co-founded by his late father, along with his two brothers Robert G. White and the late Allan R. White Jr., both of Milton, MA. The company was the first to pasteurize milk in New England and regularly collected milk from over 800 dairy farms in VT and NH. Donald was known for decades as the only living New England trademark as the eleven month old baby pictured on milk bottles and horse drawn (later motor driven) carriages and delivery trucks.

Mr. White later joined his brothers in buying and expanding Hendrie’s Ice Cream, Inc., Milton, MA in 1961 and New England Frozen Foods of Southboro, MA in 1966 together building them to be the largest purveyor of frozen foods in New England while acquiring seven other competing ice cream companies in the process. During that tenure he developed the Hendrie’s brand name frozen single stick novelty items such as healthy Juice Bar, York Peppermint Patty bar, Nestles Crunch Bar, the Welch Bar and other national branded products propelling Hendrie’s into the most innovative frozen novelty creator and seller in New England. The company was one of the first to create and introduce all natural ice cream products. Mr. White’s proudest achievement was working with his brothers in these successes for over 50 years.

Mr. White is a former Dana Farber Institute trustee and representative of the “Jimmy Fund”. He was co-founder and Chairman of the Boston Dairy and Ice Cream multi day festival known as the “Scooper Bowl,” which raises funds annually for the Jimmy Fund. He was a corporate member and trustee of Babson College, director of Cornell University’s PEM program advisory council and was visiting guest faculty there as well as at Purdue University’s agricultural marketing program.

Mr. White was an honorary member of the Scituate Harbor Yacht Club, Scituate Country Club, Scituate Rod and Gun Club, New England Corinthians, Scituate K of C, the American Legion and member of the Scituate Etrusco Association, Ducks Unlimited and of Saint Mary’s parish in Scituate.

Mr. White had a life long fascination of 1775-1815 naval maritime history and also enjoyed adventurous world travel, western bronze sculpture collecting, classical music, photography, sailing, hunting, skiing and tennis.

Mr. White leaves his beloved wife, Pauline (Gladu), his brother Robert G White of Milton, MA and his sister Audree Parr of Erie, PA. Mr. White is the former husband of the late Elaine Knapp White of Scituate. Survived by six devoted children, his daughter Cynthia White of Scituate and five sons: Donald W. White Jr. of Marshfield Hills, MA and his wife Judy Olsen White, Bradford D. White and his wife Julie-Anne (Miner) White also of Marshfield Hills, MA. Dominic A. White and his wife Jondi (Poe) of Portland, Maine, Donald A. White and his wife Pamela (Carron) of Summit NJ, Adam White of Weymouth, MA and four loving grandchildren: Olivia Olsen White & Trevor Donald White both of Marshfield Hills, Holden White and Cooper White both of Summit, NJ and also survived by cousins and numerous nieces and nephews.

The White family wishes to thank all the incredible staff, doctors and nurses at the South Shore hospital who took such wonderful care of our father over the past few weeks.

Visiting Hours on Thursday, September 09, 2010 from 4-8 PM at the Richardson Gaffey Funeral Home in Scituate, MA and Funeral Mass of Christian Burial at St. Mary’s of the Nativity Church in Scituate Harbor on Friday, September 10, 2010, at 11:00 AM, Interment immediately following at the New St. Mary’s Cemetery also in Scituate.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be may be made in memory of Donald W. White to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, ATTN: Contribution Services 10 Brookline Place West, 6th floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226, or the Scituate Historical Society, P. O. Box 276, Scituate MA 02066. For directions or to leave condolences please visit www.richardsongaffeyfuneralhome.com