Paul Joseph White Sr.

Paul Joseph White (born on Father’s Day, June 21^st, 1942) was the only son of Paul and Anna May (Aschner) White. Over the course of the next 12 years, Paul became big brother to sisters Rita, Patty, and Mary Anne.  He attended St. Leo School from 1^st through the 8^th grade, then bicycled to St. Charles Preparatory School, where he discovered that becoming a priest was not his vocation.

Following his high school graduation, he worked at “the first-one-in-Columbus” McDonald’s Restaurant located near the Great Southern Shopping Center. In two weeks, he learned he wasn’t interested in customer service in the fast food industry either. He enjoyed studying electronics at “Franklin University College of Knowledge.” He worked for Ohio Semiconductors--an electronics company--and then for Western Electric, before becoming a Columbus firefighter. He enjoyed playing the accordion, guitar, and organ---but enjoyed playing the radio and records more. He wrote professional-quality lyrics to instrumental songs---all of which were good; but his “Lover’s Guitar” lyrics were the family favorite.

He married Shirley (Ruff) and God blessed them with three sons: PJ, Kenny, and David. Paul enjoyed reading the Bible, studied everything he could about God’s Word, and wanted everyone to love God and the Good News as much as he did. He was hurt to the heart when others weren’t interested. Paul was very shy outside of the company of family and friends. He took people at their word, enjoyed laughing with—not at—others, and had a quick-comeback wit (inspired by appreciation of his chosen patron saint—Don Rickles.)

When asked if he could provide a personal memoir in six words, Paul replied: “Crawled, walked, ran, drove, sat, laid.” Paul spent the last few years of his life bed-bound in a nursing facility, and prayed many times a day for his sons, sisters, grandchildren, cousins, extended family, friends, and staff members at the nursing facility. Paul’s prayer warrior spirit joyfully left his body, apparently while asleep and having a good dream—exactly how he wanted to go—on May 19, 2023.

Paul hoped to be reunited with the important individuals of his life who preceded him into spirit: his wife Shirley; parents Paul and Anna May; twin sisters Mary Lou and Betty Lou; Rita, Theresa Agnes; extended family, relatives, friends, and pets. To all of Paul’s remaining family and friends whose missions on Earth continue: If you want to do something in Paul’s memory, pray for other people in your life several times a day, every day.