James Arthur White

James (Jim) A. White, 91, of Fremont, Indiana died July 17th with his devoted granddaughter, Gina Potter, by his side. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Pamela. They were married nearly 67 years. They had five children: Rebecca Gudorf (Gerald) of South Bend, IN; JoAn Henry (John) of Fremont, IN; James P. White (Tina) of Angola, IN; John White (Yelena) of Grand Rapids, MI; and Mary Cropsey (John) of Palmetto, FL. He had ten grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, and four great-great grandchildren. He was the son of Edward and Lucile White (Smith). He had five siblings; brothers Richard White and Dr. Donald White preceded him in death. He is survived by brothers Bob White of Lakeville and Paul White of South Bend and one sister, Mary Jane Hahl of Oklahoma. Of all Jim’s many life accomplishments, his greatest pride was his family. He loved family get-togethers made all the more special by his wife’s great cooking and baking. He liked watching his family enjoy the lake and taught all his children to water ski and safely drive the boat. As a right of passage, he took his grandchildren on multi-lake excursions. He and his wife also took several grandchildren on special vacations or made a vacation out of visiting them. Jim had a sign in his kitchen that said, “Let me tell you about my grandchildren”. He carried on a tradition of making home videos of family gatherings and events. These videos were typically accompanied by his humorous running commentary. He was often times loud and teased in a playful manner, but underneath that exterior he was really an old softie with a heart of gold. Jim was a 1947 graduate of South Bend Riley High School where he was a talented football full-back recognized with Indiana All State honors. His carried over his love of sports to his children and grandchildren and traveled far and wide to watch them compete in their sports activities. Jim proudly served his country during the Korean War where he was a recipient of the Bronze Star. After returning from Korea, he worked in his father’s family business before starting his own commercial refrigeration business in the 1960s until his retirement at the end of 1990. He instilled both his strong work ethic and drive for success in his children and grandchildren. His competitiveness carried over to his challenging games of chess with his grandchildren, an activity which continued up to his last days. Jim loved nature and the outdoors. He derived simple pleasure in sitting on his spacious lakeside deck watching the wildlife on the lake, and was a proud member of Ducks Unlimited. He also was an avid hunter and was particularly proud of being the holder of #4 Lifetime Hunting & Fishing License issued in Indiana. Jim may be remembered for his loud laugh and dry sense of humor, but he will forever be cherished by his children and grandchildren and will live on through the impact he had on those around him. Visitation will take place Wednesday, July 22 from 11 am– 1 pm immediately followed by a service at Beams Funeral Home in Fremont, Indiana. We will be following the CDC guidelines for social distancing.