Obituary: Helen (Brown) White

MADISON/ STOUGHTON - Helen M. White, age 103, died on Thursday, March 11, 2004. She was one of 10 children born to Irish immigrant parents, the late Mary McShane and Patrick Brown, in the town of Dunkirk, Dane County. She resided in Madison for most of her life. She attended St. Raphael Grade School, Madison Central High School, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before her marriage to Francis B. White, on Sept. 15, 1927, she was secretary to Dr. Joseph S. Evans, Director of the University Hospital. Her husband preceded her in death on Sept. 24, 1974. For several years she supervised a group of clerks and stenographers at the Department of Natural Resources. Later she served as administrative assistant at the UW School of Social Work. She retired in 1967. After retirement, she worked as receptionist and secretary at St. Raphael Cathedral Rectory. She served there for 20 years. While at St. Raphael's, she was a member of their council and was a lector and commentator. She worked as a volunteer at the Madison Area Technical College, teaching English to refugees. She also did volunteer work for the Madison Police Department. Through the years she was active with the Girl Scouts and Parent-Teacher Associations, serving as secretary of the Madison Council of PTA's. On June 20, 1988, Madison Downtown Rotary awarded her the Rotary's Senior Service Award for outstanding community service. She was a member of Madison Civics Club, Madison Catholic Women's Club, St. Raphael Altar Society, and Catholic Order of Foresters. Helen traveled extensively and visited Ireland, a country she loved, several times. She is survived by two sons, Neal C. (Eileen) White of Cudahy, and Jerry White of Madison; a daughter, Mary Nelson of Madison; 11 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; six sisters; three brothers; a son, John F. White; and a son-in-law, DuWayne Nelson. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at ST. RAPHAEL'S CATHEDRAL, 222 W. Main St., Madison, on Tuesday, March 16, 2004, at 10 a.m. with Monsignor Paul Swain officiating. Friends may visit on Tuesday at the church from 9 a.m. until the time of services. Burial will be at Resurrection Chapel. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Nazareth House for the three years of loving care they provided. I'd like the memory of me to be a happy one. I'd like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done. I'd like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days. I'd like the tears of those who grieve to dry before the sun, of happy memories that I leave when life is done. Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services 2418 N. Sherman Ave. (608) 249-8257

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on March 14, 2004