May 15, 1917 – November 5, 2017
Meryl Louise White passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 5, 2017. Having recently celebrated her 100th birthday, she is lovingly remembered by friends and family who enjoyed many years of her amazing musical gifts, wit, and spirit.
Meryl was born on May 15, 1917 to Lillian and Edward Korn in Buffalo, New York. In 1921 the family moved to Southern California, where Meryl remembered riding the streetcars in Los Angeles, and roller skating down the hills of her neighborhoods of Eagle Rock and Highland Park.
Growing up, Meryl attended York Elementary School, and Franklin High School. Her parents sang in their local church choirs, and made sure that Meryl received both vocal and piano lessons. In 1935 she was accepted to Occidental College on a vocal music scholarship, and met her husband-to-be, Kenneth White. Meryl was inducted as a member of Pi Sigma Alpha Mortarboard Society her senior year, and graduated in 1939. That same year, she and Ken (who was teaching English at Huntington School in San Marino) were married and settled in Eagle Rock, where they started their family.
As life-long musical partners, Meryl and Ken were active in the San Marino community for over 30 years. Meryl inspired several generations of junior high school students as the Music and Choir teacher at Huntington School, and was Ken’s steadfast partner and accompanist while he served as Minister of Music at San Marino Community Church.
Children Janice and Craig were born while the family was living in Eagle Rock, and both remember having their mother as a teacher (and father as a principal) at Huntington Junior High School after the family moved to San Marino in 1952. Music was a part of everyday life, and both children grew up with an appreciation for music which was passed on to Meryl’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In 1973, Meryl and Ken retired to their vacation home on Shasta Lake, where they spent the next 25 years enjoying the “lakeside life” – boating, waterskiing, and spending time with family and friends.
Meryl and Ken enjoyed many years of adventures together – from annual trips to Hawaii, to their yearly motorhome journeys up the Al-Can Highway for extended camping trips in Alaska. Meryl shared the driving with Ken, and even after his passing in 1997, she drove the motorhome up the highway on her own that summer at the age of 80.
In 2002, Meryl said goodbye to her Shasta home, and moved to Silverdale, Washington to be closer to family in her later years. Her feisty spirit and sharp mind kept family and friends on their toes until her last days. She is survived by her daughter, Janice, son, Craig, former daughter-in-law, Deborah, four grandchildren, Melissa Marshall (Andy), Michael March, Jennifer Cleven (Greg), Bryan White (Jennifer), and five great-grandchildren.
Meryl was laid to rest at Island Lake Cemetery, in Kitsap County, Washington. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Association (www.jdrf.org) or Seattle Music Partners (www.seattlemusicpartners.org)
