Joseph A. White

Joseph A. White, 88, a long time resident of Manchester, passed away peacefully December 23, 2017 at Hanover Hill Healthcare Center with his daughter and son at his side. He was born on February 21, 1929 in Manchester, NH. Joseph was the son of the late Thomas A.
and Alice M. (Desjardins) White. He was the loving husband of the late Madeleine A. (Pluff) White a retired Registered Nurse and graduate of Sacred Heart Hospital in Manchester.
Joseph attended St. Joseph Parochial Schools in Manchester and was a graduate of Manchester Central High School, member of the Class of 1948. He married the love of his life Madeleine at St. John the Evangelist Church in Concord on April 24, 1954. They renewed their wedding vows three times on their 25th, 35th and 50th anniversaries among family and friends and were happily married and devoted to each other for 61 years.
Joseph served in the United States National Guard in the Artillery Battery from 1950 - 1960. He graduated with distinction as a "Field Artillery Officer" from The Artillery and Guided Missile School based at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in June of 1956. Joseph was appointed by the President of the United States to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in August 1954 and 1st Lieutenant in August 1957. He attained the rank of Captain in October 1961 as a Reserve Commissioned Officer in the Army of the United States.
Mr. White worked as a Steel Worker after graduating high school then was promoted to Specialty Draftsman at Lyon's Iron Works in Manchester where he worked for twenty plus years until the company closed. Mr. White used his talents in drafting and his skills as a machinist and steel fabricator at Leighton Machine located in Manchester until he was recruited to become the Vice-President for Sales at American Mason located in Massachusetts.
Joseph became the advocate for the line worker in the steel industry. The employees were saddened when Mr. White decided time with his family was more important and he left the company for a position closer to where he lived. Joseph became the first employee to make "permanent" in less than one (1) year as a Fork-Lift Driver in the Packaging Department of Anheuser Busch in Merrimack, NH. He retired in 1993 from the Anheuser Busch Plant.
Mr. White and his wife worked as volunteers for Swift Water Council Girl Scouts and South Little League Baseball. They sang in their Church Choir and Mr. White assisted whenever there was a need with the Local, State and National Daughters of American Revolution of which his wife and daughter were members as a HODAR (Husband of the Daughters of the American Revolution).
Mr. White enjoyed family, aviation, boating, camping, traveling with his wife and family to historical landmarks such as Gettysburg, PA and Williamsburg, Va. He loved to spend time roasting marshmallows by a campfire when they traveled to favorite campgrounds at Lake George, North Conway and Hampton Beach.
For the past ten (10) years Joseph became an advocate for the Civil Rights of Disabled Persons needing the use of appropriate accommodations for mobility to further their personal independence. His focus was for those persons requesting the use of motorized wheelchairs in Nursing Facilities not just in New Hampshire but throughout the United States.
In addition to his parents several brothers and sisters predeceased him all of Manchester. His loving family includes a daughter Judith D. Ashworth, and her husband, Peter of Weare;
a son David M. White, and his wife Lori of Manchester; a grandson Thomas M. White and granddaughter Rebecca A. White, both of Manchester.

A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated on Friday, December 29, 2017 at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, Mast Road, Goffstown, NH. Committal prayers and burial followed in St. Joseph Cemetery, 448 Donald St, Bedford.
The suggestion of the family is that in lieu of flowers, donations made in Joseph's name to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, The American Heart Association or the Diabetes Foundation to honor his memory.
To send an online message of condolence, please go to www.lambertfuneralhome.com.