Henry Edmunds White

Henry Edmunds White, loving and devoted husband and father, married 67 years to Carol (Meade) White passed away quietly in his sleep on Tuesday, May 1, 2012. He was born in Suchowfu China, to Emma White and Locke White, missionaries in China. He graduated from Darlington Preparatory School, in Rome, Georgia and entered Davidson College in 1942. During a summer vacation he met Carol Meade who was singing in the choir of the Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Kentucky where his father served as minister. They married in 1945 and Ed left his new bride and his studies to serve two years in the United States Air Corps. He returned to Davidson and graduated in 1947 and then attended UNC Chapel Hill and the University of South Carolina for graduate school. Throughout his life Ed loved sports and was a highly successful athlete. At Davidson he was captain of the Davidson College basketball team and participated in football, tennis, track, and baseball. In 1947, after graduating, he taught and coached at Darlington School in Rome, Georgia. He also became an assistant principal of newly opened Eau Claire High School in Columbia, South Carolina. He later became the Assistant Dean of Students at Davidson College. In 1955 Ed became Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at the college and served in that position for 25 years. While he was dean, he served on the Committee on Guidance for College, the College Entrance Examination Board of New York, and the Board of College Admissions Center of Evanston, Illinois. He served on the North Carolina Governor's Scholarship Board and was also on the Board of National Merit. In 1979 he decided to pursue his passion for sports and left his beloved Davidson to serve as Athletic Director at Southwestern College for 5 years. He then returned to Davidson for his retirement. Ed devoted much of his time to helping others who were less fortunate, through his work at the Davidson College Presbyterian Church and at Habitat for Humanity, an organization which he helped start in the Davidson area. He taught Sunday School over the years at Davidson College Presbyterian Church, where he was a Deacon and Elder. Over the years he excelled in tennis, traveling around the Southeast, participating in and winning numerous tournaments. Ed won the N.C. State Doubles Championship the week before suffering a stroke. In 2007, Ed was inducted into the Davidson College Athletic Hall of Fame for his athletic prowess at Davidson College. Past employees, friends, and family honored him with a scholarship established in his name to provide financial aid to Davidson College students. Memorial Services will be conducted 10:30 a.m. Saturday May 5, 2012 at Davidson College Presbyterian Church with Rev. Lib McGregor-Simmons officiating. He is survived by his wife Carol, and his three children, Henry Edmunds Jr., Susan, and Locke, and his grandchildren Hope, Katherine, and Jordan. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his brothers, Locke Jr. and Richard and his sister Louise Walker. The family is very grateful for the loving care given to Ed by the nurses and staff at The Pines at Davidson. Memorial contributions in his honor may be made to the H. Edmunds White Scholarship Fund at Davidson College or The Pines at Davidson Resident Care Fund at 400 Avinger Lane, Davidson, NC 28036. Please allow extra fine time for parking at the church due to Davidson Town Day. Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home and Cremation Service Huntersville NC is assisting the family. Friends may offer condolences to the family at www.raymerfh.com