Kenneth Ray White peacefully passed away on Sunday, November 19, 2023 at home in Acworth, Georgia.

Ken White was many things in his 94 years, but to me and my siblings, he was just Dad.

Born Kenneth Ray White on July 30, 1929 in Carrollton, Missouri, Dad's recollections of childhood reflected a life of work in the family's greenhouse and gardens and simple pleasures such as fishing with a cane pole and launching leaf boat races from the bridge with his buddies. As a teenager, his first job was as soda-jerk in the local drugstore where his extra portions and good looks made the place a popular hangout. In high school he got his front teeth knocked out during a football tackle. The dentist made him a set of dentures saying 'Now you'll attract all the pretty girls.' To the dentist's dismay, a week later Dad was borrowing his car to date his daughter.

Dad loved to tell how he met my mother while stationed in the Navy in Key West. Mom had just begun working in the ship store on base. Dad was dating another girl there whom he had arranged to give a ride home after work. When he saw Mom and discovered she walked to work, he offered her a ride too. He made a point of dropping off the girlfriend first and never went out with her again. He fell for Mom immediately and they were soon married in Key West.  Their marriage produced 8 children and lasted 32 years.

Dad met another important figure while in Key West, President Harry Truman. When Mr. Truman requested a photographer from Missouri, Dad was the only one who fit the bill. It was the beginning of a lifetime working relationship and friendship. After his Navy service and upon Mr. Truman's recommendation, Dad moved the family from Carrollton to Independence, MO and began working as a photographer and writer for The Independence Examiner.

He had other jobs that aligned with his passions too. He was a photographer for Hallmark Cards, an outdoor writer for the Missouri Tourism Commission, and executive director of the Missouri American Revolution Bicentennial Commission. These jobs further enforced his knowledge of and love for Missouri life, especially hunting, fishing, and generally being outdoors.

Dad had many stories (and photographs too) of the celebrities who came through the Truman library to visit with Harry. But what I remember personally is Dad inviting Bess Truman to the house for dinner in the years after Harry's death as they shared an appreciation of catching and eating fresh fish. She accepted Dad's unplanned invitation, and my mom was both flattered and mortified at the same time. Chaotic preparations pursued with 8 kids scurrying around setting the table properly and dressing up for our guest. The secret service officers parked in front of our modest home and waited while we served Dad's fresh catch to the former first lady. I recall her as relaxed and sweet and perhaps a bit amused as well.

Dad was knowledgeable, passionate, and well-practiced at all things outdoors. All of his life, when asked if he had been fishing lately, he would say "No, not for at least a day or two" or some similar reply and it was pretty true. He always made time for fishing, hunting, or some other outdoor activity and he took the time to ensure all 8 of us kids were properly exposed to the outdoors too. We often camped on weekends, and all learned to at least swim, waterski, and fish.

Dad won 17 major fishing tournaments over the years including the World Series of Freshwater Fishing in 1963 and 3 Missouri State Championships. He also hunted in Missouri's first spring turkey season in 1960 and every single opening day thereafter (spring and fall), keeping a journal of each of his 108 opening days.

Eventually it made sense to share that passion with others. In addition to writing a weekly outdoor column for over 60 years, he also had his own local TV show 'Ken White, Outdoorsman' where he and a guest highlighted hunting and fishing expeditions with tips and tools on how to be successful.

With a career in the press, Dad had access to sporting events and enjoyed covering HS football on Fridays, Mizzou Tigers on Saturdays, and Chiefs on Sundays. He has a reel of silent footage from one of the first Chiefs games in the 'new' stadium in 1972.

Dad was also present with his camera for the Beatles first USA tour in 1964. After a press conference for the show, John Lennon told Dad he could come backstage for better pictures. Dad later made a poster from those original shots.

Dad married his next love, Donna Lackey, in 1987. They bought a country house in a perfect location in Stockton, MO complete with woods for hunting and a pond for fishing. Dad never considered himself retired since he continued writing for several newspapers all his life but also because he never considered his jobs to be work. He felt blessed to be able to make a living doing the things he loved most. Dad was often the feature of other articles himself. One writer compared his deeply interesting life to that of Forrest Gump: always in the right place at the right time.

Dad made friends easily, partly due to his cheerful greetings like "Hello Mary Sunshine!". When someone asked him how he was today Dad did not answer 'fine' as most of us do, but instead he sang out "Happy, healthy, handsome, and humble." And would often add "And my wife would say 'a handful too'!"

Donna was able to celebrate Dad's 90th birthday with all of us but sadly, was taken by cancer a few months later. Their marriage also lasted 32 years. Of course, Dad missed her fiercely but was determined to carry on. "Gotta keep moving" was always his way and he did! He continued fishing, writing, hunting, driving, gardening, traveling, and even mowing the 5-acre yard on their property.

In March of 2022, Dad was extremely proud to be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame for his achievements in outdoor living and writing. We went to cheer his accomplishment and then celebrated with a golf outing. He didn't see any limits to his age.

Once Dad turned 93, he accepted our invitation to move from his beloved Missouri down to Georgia (even though Georgia does not have a fall turkey season!). Once settled in, he promptly got his GA driver's license, and set out: determined to find the fish in the lake, meet others at the local Senior Center, and even took pickleball lessons!

After celebrating his 94th birthday this July, he continued to keep busy but began to slow down a touch. In late September, we discovered why. Not because he was 94 – why would he let age get in the way now? But rather, due to colon cancer, which crept in and grew undetected for some time.

Even in the ICU, the staff were charmed by Dad and began referring to him as 'the most interesting man in the world' once they heard a few of his stories. Once home on hospice, Dad remained as optimistic as ever, 'There is always something good to be found if you look hard enough.' My siblings and I brought him onto the lake bridge in his wheelchair to keep searching for those elusive Georgia crappie 'it's always fishing but it's not always catching' he often said, though my brothers did succeed in getting Dad to catch a few.

What an incredible life. What changes he witnessed and history he was present for! And what a future too. Just a few weeks before his death, Dad called me into his room one night to share that he was finally ready to become Catholic. He was confirmed in early November and the peace he experienced was visible.

Dad used to sign off his TV show by telling viewers to 'Keep Smiling Everyone!'. I think that was a little goal of his, to always leave others smiling. I hope Dad knows how grateful I am for giving us a lot to smile about.

While Ken is surely joyfully reuniting with Donna, he is preceded in death by 2 children; Deborah Meeker (Wally) and David White. He is survived by 6 children; Laura Jach (Roman), Teresa Longanecker (Gary), Bradley White (Jeanie), Claudia Chandler (Henry), Angela Chambers and Kevin White (Jessica) plus 3 stepchildren, numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, and many friends and fans.

A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church in Acworth, Georgia on Tuesday, November 28 at 1pm.  A Reception will follow at the church.  As Ken wished, he will be cremated then an inurnment in Missouri at the National Cemetery in Higginsville, Missouri on Tuesday, December 12 at 2pm.

Collins Funeral home is honored to be in charge of the arrangements for Mr. Kenneth Ray White.