Obituary of Robert King White

With sadness but also with deep gratitude for a long life well lived, we announce the passing of Robert King White of Old Lyme, Connecticut, on November 7, 2021 Born in New York City on July 5, 1928 to Elsie Croll and Robert Hooper White, Bobby graduated from the Buckley School, Collegiate School, and Yale University (1950). He was a long-time member of the New York Stock Exchange. In 1954 Bobby married Ellen Virden of Manhasset, Long Island. Together they moved to a continually expanding home on Marshall Ridge Rd. in New Canaan, CT. There they raised a family of six children, six dogs, three cats, several gerbils, various reptiles, a dozen short-lived guppies, a parakeet, and too many rabbits to be contained by their original cage. After Bobby retired he chaired the board of the New Canaan Library. He also served on the boards of the Henry L. Ferguson Museum and the Fishers Island Utility Company. Many of Bobby’s best friendships and fondest memories were formed on his beloved Fishers Island. His childhood summer home sat behind the 7th green on the Hay Harbor Club golf course. Little wonder that golf brought him a lifetime of joy and laughter. Bobby’s sharp wit, his deeply engaging (and occasionally exaggerated) stories, his infectious smile, and his abiding lack of pretention endeared him to many, many friends and acquaintances. He is survived by Ellen, his beloved wife of 67 years; their six children Robert (Kaatje), Elizabeth Atwood (Claude Noiseux), Elsie Miller (Michael), Katie Welles (Eric), Andrew (Holly Lester), and David (Angela Scola). He is survived, as well, by 15 grandchildren: Katie, Cary, and Alex White; Ali Herter Logan and Julia Atwood; Charlie, Sam, Tripp, and Jack Miller; Elsie and Henry Welles; Harrison and Sydney White; and Bennet and Addison White—all of whom knew and loved him as GrandBobby. He was predeceased by his sister, Elsie White Parsons. All are welcome to attend a memorial service for Bobby at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 27, at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme: 2 Ferry Road, Old Lyme, CT. (Vaccinations requested, masks required.) Gifts in Bobby’s memory can be made to The Henry L. Ferguson Museum, PO Box 554, Fishers Island, NY 06390, or the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme. To share a memory of Bobby or send a condolence to his family please visit www.rwwfh.com Arrangements are in the care of the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home in Centerbrook.