Shirley K. (Emerick) White

WINCHENDON - Shirley K. E. White, resident of Winchendon since 1959, died on May 3, 2006 at Broadview Assisted Living Community. Shirley had had a long-term blood disease that developed into an acute leukemia. Members of her family were at her bedside at the time of death. Shirley, the widow of Joseph N. White III, was an enthusiastic outdoors person, golfer, history buff, woodworker and lover of music, especially opera. She was a close friend of the Northrup family who were founding members of the Ellicottville, New York, Ski Club; Shirley skied throughout the United States and Europe including Tuckerman's Ravine on Mt. Washington, NH. She was particularly fond of her trips to Wyoming where she coached her grandchildren. Often one could see three generations on challenging ski trails. In recent years Shirley hiked and walked with a group of close women friends throughout the British Isles, a sport that combined her dedication to outdoor life with a deep interest in British and European history. Further, she was the family archivist and historian who developed an account of the White family history and preserved documents, photographs and accounts of the family. She was at the center of several important family reunions and was a source of innumerable stories and anecdotes that would have been lost had she not written them in the genealogy. Among her many woodworking projects, her favorite was an exact replica of the house, called Captain's Farm, at 106 Elmwood Road in Winchendon. Shirley White was born in Rochester, New York in December 1915. She and her husband, Joseph N. White III, were married in 1959. He died in 1986. Shirley is survived by her step-sons Joseph N. White IV, Eric S. White and Frederick W. White II as well as her nephew Douglas Hartl of Rochester, New York. A step-daughter, Carol Herbel, died in 1997. Shirley has seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren as well as a great-niece and nephew. A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 10th at 10 A.M. in the United Parish, 39 Front Street. The Rev. F. Calvin Miller, pastor, will officiate. Private burial will take place in Riverside Cemetery. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, friends are invited to contribute in Shirley's name to: The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Donor Services, PO Box 4072, Pittsfield, MA 01202. The Snow-Ladeau Funeral Home, 343 Central Street, is directing arrangements. www.snow-ladeau.com