Donald F. White

Donald F. White of Ithaca passed away at home with family by his side on Friday, June 5, 2020 at the age of 97.

Don was born in Varna, NY on July 11, 1922, a son of the late Harold A. and Evelyn L. (Beach) White and moved to Ulysses at age 2. After attending Ithaca High School, he served his country in World War II for three years, spending 2 ½ years in North Africa and Europe with the 1993rd Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, being awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Award, the Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. In 1950, he married the former Loretta Pelham and built the home in which he lived until his death.
Don was a hard worker. Over the years, he was employed by Ithaca Rumsey, GLF, Spencer CO-OP, H.D. Besemer, and Cayuga Crushed Stone, and always owned and operated his own trucks. After his father❜s death, he owned the family farm on Garrett Road until selling it to the Cayuga Nature Center in 1990.

Don enjoyed his times with family and friends at Manos Diner until it closed. He then began a long tradition of going to The Falls Restaurant every Monday and Wednesday to have breakfast with the regular crew. When at home, he enjoyed watching old westerns and mowing his lawn. Don was always interested in and liked to watch traffic from his living room window to keep current on the happenings around Route 89.

Don is survived by his two daughters Lois (Big Pete) Briggs of Crown Point, Indiana, Donna Collins of Ithaca, and his son and daughter-in-law Frank and Annette White of Lansing; grandchildren Pete and April Briggs, Jennifer and Jason Ryman, D.J. and Ginger Collins, Mike and Ann Collins, Rachael and Jozef Dobsovic, Frank and Nicki White, and Ryan White; great grandchildren Hunter Briggs, Kaley Morgan, Danyelle Morgan and Matt Abercrombie, Nathan Collins, Naomi Collins, Marcus Haider, Kian Collins, Jackson Dobsovic, Livia Dobsovicova, Korbyn Zuniga, Frank White III, Dorian White, and Cooper White; brother Paul White, many nieces and nephews, and special friends Betty Malkovsky and Juliet Ballentine. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his sisters Alberta Voorheis and Leona Myers and lifelong friend Paul Nelson. The family would like to thank Juls and Don❜s other home healthcare aides for taking care of their father and allowing him to spend his final years at home.

In his honor, Donald’s family will receive family and friends for a celebration of his life catered by the Falls Restaurant on Friday, September 3, 2021 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at The Trumansburg American Legion Post 770, 4431 E Seneca Rd, Trumansburg, NY 14886. A graveside service with military honors will follow at Frear Memorial Park at 10:30 a.m. on September 3, 2021.

The family asks those who would like to make a donation in Don❜s memory to kindly consider Franziska Racker Center, 3226 Wilkins Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 or Hospicare of Tompkins County, 172 East King Road, Ithaca, NY 14850.