Obituary of Ferd Eugene White, Sr.

WALLINGFORD - Ferd Eugene White, Sr., 93, (not Fern or Fred), but Whitey to his friends from LANE Construction Corp. of Cheshire, CT, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 27, 2017, at Midstate Medical Center in Meriden, CT.

Born June 2, 1924 to the late Perley and Edith (Brown) White, he is survived by his wife of 68 years, Joyce Elaine (Getchell) of Caribou, ME.

Ferd enlisted in the U.S. Army during WWII on February 24, 1943. He was a member of the 643rd Tank Destroyer Battalion in the initial invasion at the Battle of the Bulge, in Sherbourne, France. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the American Service Medal, and the European - African - Middle Eastern Campaign Medal for his service. One of his great disappointments was to be discharged from the military service as infantry, instead of being discharged under the 643rd Tank Destroyer Battalion.

Ferd was employed as a truck driver for several companies including his father-in-law's, Russell C. Getchell Trucking, Ted Wainwright, and Sprague Inc. prior to getting his lifelong job at LANE Construction, transporting heavy equipment over the road for 41 years from which he retired in 1987. Ferd was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Compass #9 for 50 years, as well as the American Legion and VFW.

Ferd had strong family ties during his retiring years, in which he would read local and Maine newspapers, and would write at least one letter every day to his family and friends to keep in touch with everyone. Ferd was also an avid hunter, he would go deer hunting every fall at Getchell's camp in the Great Northern Maine woods. He would hunt with his brother-in-laws, nephews, sons, and grandsons. He would also meet with people he would know from ME, considering them all as family. Ferd's famous words were, "Be careful, and I Love You!"

Ferd is survived by two sons: Albert Jefferson Reed, Jr. "Bucky" of FL., Ferd E. White, Jr. "Mickey" (his fiancé Sherry Furbush) of ME; and two daughters: Sherri (Henry) Woronick of Wallingford, and Roberta J. "Bobbie" (Gary Bernabi) White of Wallingford. He will also be missed by several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and surviving in-laws. Ferd was predeceased by his parents, four siblings: Donald A. White, Merle I. White, Maurice A. White, and Ruth L. Watson; grandson: Jeremey J. White; and a daughter-in-law: Shirley (Williams) Reed.

Friends and family are invited to attend a visitation on Saturday, July 8, 2017 from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM at the B.C. Bailey Funeral Home, 273 South Elm St., in Wallingford. A memorial service will be held immediately following the visitation at 4:00 PM in the funeral home. His family and friends from both Connecticut and Maine are invited to attend a graveside service on Friday, July 21, 2017 at 1:00 PM at Riverside Cemetery in Cape Elizabeth, ME. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are asked to be forwarded to some of Ferd's favorites, including Shriners Hospitals for Children www.shrinershospitals.org/Donate, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital www.stjude.org, American Diabetes Association www.diabetes.org, Alzheimers Association www.alz.org, or a charity of one's choice. For directions, or to leave a message of remembrance, please visit www.BaileyCares.com.