Harold F White

Judge Harold F. White, 94, passed away on Tuesday August 5, 2014.

Judge White was born in Hartford, Connecticut to Maude E. McCarthy and Harry F. White on April 29, 1920. He attended a one room school in Northfield Center, VT, moving at age 14 to Bridgeport, CN to attend Harding High School, graduating in 1938. He was a member of the championship rifle team and earned a letter in cross-country track. He graduated from Ohio University in 1946 and The University of Akron School of Law in 1952. His undergraduate education was interrupted by service in the U.S. Army, European Theatre, W.W.II. He served as a First Lieutenant in the 1252nd Combat Engineer Battalion and was awarded the Purple Heart and four battle stars. He also served 28 years in the U.S. Army Reserves, retiring as a Lt. Colonel.

Before his appointment to the Federal Bankruptcy Court, May 1, 1958, he was a City of Akron and Summit County prosecutor. He served 41 years on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio including re-call status. When he retired from active status in 1993, he was the senior Bankruptcy judge in the nation with 35 years of service. Judge White was instrumental in the education of several generations of students and lawyers as an adjunct professor at The University of Akron School of Law and as a lecturer, panelist and organizer of seminars including the annual White-Williams Bankruptcy Seminar. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Akron in 2008 and received Distinguished Alumni Awards from Ohio University and the University of Akron. In 2004, he was honored with the Sir Thomas More Award at the Red Mass. He was one of the founders of the Summit Athletic Club and received the Andy Palich Award from the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame for his life-long promotion of running. As a community volunteer, he was associated with the Kidney Foundation, the United Way, Haven of Rest, and Summit County Interfaith Legal Services Pro-bono Clinic.

He was pre-deceased in 2008 by his wife of 65 years, E. Jeannette Murie White. He is survived by his sister Renee Strainge of Stratford, CN; children, Frances James (William, deceased) and Dr. Harold A. White of Akron, Dr. Susan White Braunstein (Dr. Ethan Braunstein) of Flagstaff, AZ; and grandchildren, Andrew, Ethan, and James White of Akron.

A memorial service is being held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1250 W. Exchange St., Akron, Ohio, on Saturday August 16, 2014 at 11 AM, Rev. J. Philip Smith officiating. Calling hours will be at Billow Fairlawn Chapel, 85 N. Miller Rd., on Friday August 15, 2014 from 4 to 7 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Judge Harold and Jeannette White Scholarship Fund in the School of Law or the Edna C. Berry RN Scholarship Fund in the School of Nursing at the University of Akron a�... The Department of Development, Akron OH 4425-2603, as well as to the Harold and Jeannette White Scholarship in Forensics and The Harold F. White Scholarship in Business at Ohio University via The Ohio University Fund, P.O. Box 869, Athens, OH 45701-0869. (Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel)