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James Edgar White

Posted 2022-01-25 by mhenderson
Published by Yuma Sun on Jan. 23, 2022 -
Yuma, Arizona -

James Edgar White passed away peacefully on January 1, 2022 in Phoenix,
Arizona. He was surrounded by family at Ryan House, Hospice of the
Valley. Many friends and family visited during his final months at home.

James was born August 19, 1940 in Iowa City, Iowa to Dorothy Anna Curtis
and Walter Howard White.

He was raised in the small town of Lost Nation, Iowa and moved to
Riverton, Wyoming where his father homesteaded after WWII. The family
moved to Roll, Arizona in 1954. The Wellton-Mohawk Valley was always
"home" to James. James first spotted Shirley when he worked at Arnold's
Market in Wellton and could not wait to make her his high school
sweetheart. They married in June 1961 and enjoyed 60 years of marriage,
travel and adventures together.

James' great passions in life were cars, golf and telling stories. His
rural paper route in high school fueled his love of driving - backroads,
highways, race track or autobahn. One of his favorite sayings was, "I
never drove a car faster than it would go". He worked for 14 years as an
Irrigation dispatcher at Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage
District. He moved to Phoenix in 1974 to continue his education and
began working at Salt River Project in 1976 as a Water Dispatcher. He
moved into Warehouse Operations and found his calling as an Investment
Recovery Specialist, selling everything from desks to planes and
bulldozers. He was a natural salesman and could talk to anyone.

James was an avid golfer and always had clubs in the trunk, "just in
case". He played in the SRP Golf Association and Palo Verde Men's Golf
Club. He loved to refurbish clubs and gave away countless sets to anyone
thinking of beginning the game. He hit a total of NINE holes-in-one and
could spin any story into a golf story. James attended Arizona Western
College in Yuma, Glendale Community College, Arizona State University,
finally earning his B.A. in Business Administration from Western
International University at the age of 61. It was a promise kept to his
daughter and underscored his lifelong curiosity and love of learning.

James was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Roger Neil White;
his sister, Elizabeth Betty Jo Haack; his brother, John Billy White.

James is survived by his wife Shirley Farar White, of Tolleson, AZ; his
daughter, Sharon (Eduard) Korat of Campbell, CA; his daughter-in-law,
Christine White of Tacna, AZ; his five grandchildren, Justin (Sommer)
White, Tyler (Nikki) White, Cassidie White, Torben Korat and Sonia
Korat. He had seven great grandchildren, Hayden, Ryder and Kayli White,
Jemma and Mackenzie Wahe, Cayden Rouse, and Xander McCullough. James was
the second of eight children. He is survived by his siblings: Richard
(Sandy) of St. Louis, MO; Diana (John) Gray of Tucson, AZ; Jacqueline
(John) Dirck, Colleen (Roger) Libbert and Thomas White, all of Sedalia,
MO; as well as many nieces and nephews.

James was loved by many and will be greatly missed.

James will be laid to rest Saturday, January 29, 2022 at Johnson
Mortuary in Yuma. Visitation at 10 am, Service at 11 am, Graveside
service immediately follows.

Please sign the guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/yumasun




Note: These obituaries are transcribed as published and are submitted by volunteers who have no connection to the families. They do not write the obituaries and have no further information other than what is posted within the obituaries. We do not do personal research. For this you would have to find a volunteer who does this or hire a professional researcher.

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