Deceased January 13, 1994
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In Memory
Jeff White died on Jan. 13 at his home in Summit, N.J., after a long, courageous struggle against Hodgkin’s disease. He was senior vice president of technology and business development with Cambrex Corp., East Rutherford, N.J.
Born Oct. 31, 1945, in Boston, Jeff grew up in Lincoln, Mass., and received his secondary education at Phillips Exeter Academy. At Amherst, he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and active in crew. After graduating cum laude, Jeff earned his Ph.D. at MIT in organo-metallic chemistry. His career included many accolades including U.S. and foreign patents, numerous publications and memberships in various professional associations. His work in the area of new ventures and acquisitions at Cambrex resulted in the company’s doubling its assets.
In his community of Summit, Jeff was involved in coaching junior baseball and soccer and active in his church. A devoted father, Jeff took great pleasure in his sons—nurturing, teaching, coaching and encouraging them. Family trips to Europe, the natural wonders of the western U.S. and the mountains of Colorado or Vermont brought them great delight.
Jeff was one of the most decent human beings we knew. That he has been taken from us is hard to accept. Jeff was self-assured but not boastful, hard-working but not obsessive, strong but not hard. He was devoid of prejudice, detested small-mindedness and tried to understand others’ views. But perhaps his most enduring attribute was his unflagging optimism even when faced with what he knew to be an incurable cancer.
Eight years ago, Jeff was diagnosed with far-advance Hodgkin’s disease. Despite chemotherapy, radiation, bone marrow transplantation, biological response modifiers and experimental regimens, Jeff’s disease was not curable. He lived far longer than anyone would have predicted. He literally willed himself to live, and he had a lot to live for. He loved his work and loved his family. He loved to learn and loved to play.
Those of us fortunate enough to be his friend also knew his whimsical side. Jeff could laugh at himself and let others laugh with and at him. “Jeff stories” abound. Whether nearly blowing up the chemistry building by an overheated coil that he forgot to turn off, dragging reluctant fraternity brothers through the great museums of Europe when they had more frivolous interests in mind or doing a poor imitation of Evel Knievel on his and Chuck’s motorcycle, Jeff always provided great entertainment.
A few years ago, Jeff helped initiate the convening of Amherst roommates and fraternity brothers who were scattered all over the country. We committed to meet annually. The idea was to attend a weekend of baseball games at a park that was about to close, which seemed to fit the nostalgia theme pretty well. We saluted the end of the old Comiskey Park in Chicago and Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. The third year was to be the closing of Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Jeff was a last minute cancellation as he was too sick at that time to come. Ironically, the Giants didn’t move after all. Last September, we convened for the closing of Cleveland Stadium. Counter to medical advice, Jeff made the trip and enjoyed the gathering immensely, especially Mike’s being arrested for scalping extra tickets.
Members of the class of ’67 will recall Jeff’s significant involvement with reunion planning and organization and the perspective on life he presented and articulately shared. His entry to the class of ’67 25th reunion book included a bit of his personal philosophy. “If my survival into middle age has taught me anything, it is that we should never be so arrogant as to believe that we are in charge of our own destiny. The universe is a chaotic place and whatever plans you have your heart set upon, be prepared for events to take on a life of their own. The miracle is that with the help of friends, family and religion, a thoughtful and sensitive person has many ways of coping.”
Jeff was a great teacher. These past eight years he taught us much about living in spite of his illness. Jeff never felt that his life was limited. He rarely let his illness have dominion over his life. Only in a narrow, temporal sense has Jeff’s life been shortened. He fought the strong fight. He waged a magnificent struggle to the end against all odds. He never wavered and was never daunted by the size of the hill he had to climb. Jeff’s spirit was the source of his strength. He greeted each day with a smile and had boundless enthusiasm for the moment. Jeff loved life and his friends. It was always a treat to see Jeff and spend time with him. An optimist to the end, Jeff always focused on the positive. We are all the richer for having known him. He was a great friend who lives in the hearts of all who loved him.
Jeff is survived by his wife, Joan Duncan (Smith ’68); three sons, John, Duncan and Bowen; his parents, John W. ’34 and Katharine S. White; and two sisters, Susan W. West and Patience H. White.
Mike Boxer ’67
Rick Clarke ’67
Jim Lynch ’68
Chuck Woodard ’67