Merial B "Dick" White
March 9, 1939 – October 18, 2024

Merial B "Dick" White, Jr, 85 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away on Oct 18, 2024 following an extended illness. He was able to spend his end stage of life in his own home surrounded by loving and caring family members.

Born, March 9, 1939 in Cullman County, Alabama, the son of Merial B and Susie Thompson White, was graduated from Fairview High School in 1956. Shortly following graduation, he married his high school sweetheart Freda Jo King on Sep 29, 1957. For 67 years, they remained a deeply loving couple until his death did part them. As newlyweds, they soon moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama where Dick attended the University of Alabama and would earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering.

Upon graduation, Dick entered into the Army through ROTC and served until honorably discharged in 1965 earning several awards of distinction.

Dick and Freda had three children Alan Jeffrey, Beth Ann (deceased in infancy) and Gary Patrick. He was a devoted father and husband committed to providing his fledging family with a comfortable life and instilled in his sons a value of education and daily competence when meeting life's complications.

His profession was as an engineer. Therefore, it is not surprising Dick thought like an engineer. He would gather data, conduct an analysis of the data and then create an action plan to solve the problem. Once completed, he would move on to the next issue at hand. Dick chose his career like an engineer would. He had a new and growing family to feed and support and a family requires financial security. So, in making his career choice, as a freshman, he went to the career center at Alabama and reviewed a list of projected incomes of a variety of career options and seeing that "engineer" was listed on the top of the chart, he made a life choice in a moment. And then he moved on.

Dick displayed his talent for instruction and creative problem solving throughout his professional career as an electrical engineer. Many companies and agencies benefitted from his career path while holding positions with NASA, Spaco and Texas Instruments before eventually retiring from TVA in 1993.

Dick enjoyed hunting, various outdoor activities and, especially, the football program from his Alma Mater, the University of Alabama. His religious home was as a member of the First United Methodist Church of Lexington, Tennessee. Whether sacred or profane, social gatherings where Dick was present, could possibly result with him emerging as a larger-than-life individual. Devoid of encumbrances dissuading Dick from speaking his truth, he could regale an audience with opinions spoken with an absolute confidence in accuracy and appropriate reasoning. Such an opinion package could sway the majority of doubters into his camp whereas any holdouts would be dismissed as folks suffering from the type of intellectual condition that "cannot be fixed."

Dick changed the world for those who would listen to him. With time running short, his final problem had to be addressed – he needed to ensure the love of his life was taken care of both physically and financially. Finishing the solution for his wife, there was nothing left for Dick to fix. So, he has moved on and will be missed by all who were fortunate enough to know him.

Family remaining to cherish Dick's memory are his wife Freda, sons Alan (Deedra) and Gary (Eric), grandsons, Jordan (Lauren) and Andrew, and great-grandchildren, Emma and Ezra.

Preceding Dick in death were his parents, Merial B White and Susie Thompson White, his brother, Billy John White and his daughter, Beth Ann White.

A graveside service was held in Alabama at the Baileyton Cemetery on October 23, 2024 officiated by The Reverend Krel Buckelew, Pastor at Carbon Hill First Methodist Church.