Ronald Edward White

Ronald Edward White passed away on August 28, 2022, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ron was born in Burbank, California on April 23, 1950, to Harold Edward White and Merlene Austin White. He grew up in Encino where his claim to fame was being neighbors with Wally Moon, Dick Van Dyke, and The Jackson 5. He enjoyed scouting, earning the rank of Eagle, and loved sharing his adventures of campouts and sea-sick-filled trips to Catalina Island. He was also a strong swimmer and spent many hours at the YMCA during his youth. Ron had a great love for animals, including his dog, Tammy, and cherished cat of 19 years, Skunky. He even had a pet monkey which his mom lovingly donated to the LA Zoo after one memorable day.

Ron was an honors student at his beloved Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, CA. After graduating in 1968, he attended The University of Utah and quickly developed a great love and devotion to all things “U”. He was a devoted member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity and made many life-long friends during the 3 years he lived in the fraternity house. He graduated with a BA in Political Science with high honors in 1972. He continued his education and attended the University of Utah College of Law, graduating in 1975.

His crowning achievement while at the U was marrying the love of his life, Susan Barker. They met at a family home evening activity where he quickly knew she was the one for him. They were married on August 27, 1974, in the Salt Lake Temple. Their marriage was tested early on by the infamous Bob’s Big Boy “incident” but their union was clearly meant to be as they just celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary.

They soon relocated to Los Angeles so Ron could prepare for the CA Bar Exam and fulfill a life-long dream of working with his father at the law firm of White, Oberhansley, and Fleming. That dream was sadly cut short by the untimely passing of his father a short time later. Despite the setback, Ron and Sue made the decision to pursue his legal career in the greater Los Angeles area for the next 35 years.

Ron was a proud and engaged father and grandfather. He showed his children and grandchildren his love through his presence, phone calls, and countless letters and notes. His bedtime stories were legendary, and his creation of “Space Monkeys” has been handed down to each grandchild. He changed diapers, dressed children in their jammies (even if they were on backwards), and spent hours in the pool playing games and judging diving contests.

A member of the Crimson Club, Ron was a loyal Ute fan with season tickets to football and basketball. He loved to attend games with his family and always stuck with the Utes through thick and thin. Ever the historian, Ron also had a passion for all things Civil War and World War II. He was fascinated with maps, geography, and general trivia. Ron made sure his children appreciated the “oldies” and his impressive memory allowed him to tell you the name and release year of any Beach Boys or Beatles song as well as what he was doing when he first heard it.

Ron was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and enjoyed serving in many callings. He leaves behind a legacy of faith and devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He had a generous heart and loved to volunteer. He served in Rotary International for many years, and volunteered as a missionary serving in the Addiction Recovery Program.

Ron is survived by his wife, Susan Barker White; his children, Laurie Moyers (Mitch), James White (Melissa), Whitney Norman (Jeff), and Patrick White (Abby); and his 17 grandchildren: Alex, Julie, Natalie, Katie, Annie, Katelyn, Jane, Jack, Emily, Blake, Cameron, Taylor, Will, Miranda, Owen, Maisy, and Reese. He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Richard A. White.

Our loving husband, father, and Grandpa will be greatly missed and we all look forward to the day when we are reunited with him.

A visitation will be held at the Federal Heights Ward Building located at 1300 E Fairfax Road in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, September 7 from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. Funeral services will be held the following day, Thursday, September 8 at the same location at 11:00 A.M. (visitation from 9:30 - 10:30 A.M.). An interment will immediately follow at the Salt Lake City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
For those unable to attend, services will be streamed via zoom. Click on the watch services tab above. A free zoom account is required.