| On the afternoon of Saturday December 16th, 2023, a small group of family and friends gathered at the home of Jerry and Carrie White in remembrance of the life of Henry Charles White. He departed from this world on October 31st after some years of battling cancer, leaving those who loved him with lasting memories of his life of faith, music and kindness. |
We took time to celebrate him with pictures representing the span of his life. Jerry played a tune on the piano called “I Remember Clifford” while photos of his childhood, teen years and adult life were on display. The song was originally written to honor the jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown, whose life and talent were cut short in a fatal car accident at the age of 25. This is also the first song Henry played with Jerry’s accompaniment. Going back through photos a second time, we were able to pause and reminisce about the individuals whose lives Henry touched.
Especially memorable were a couple photos of his younger years as a trumpeter. Henry had the opportunity in the late 1950s and early 1960s to perform locally as well as tour with the Shep Fields band around the U.S. Jazz and classical music were an indispensable part of his days on this earth. Even after he stopped playing professionally, he continued practicing for pleasure well into his late 70s, all the while finding plenty of time to listen to his extensive vinyl collection.
With some of his favorite music playing softly in the background, his son Jerry and grandson Austen took a few minutes to read some of Henry’s poetry. He published a simple book of his first poems in 2009 and continued writing until the final months of his life. The poems range from contemplative and insightful to romantic and at times even humorously absurd. |
As we casually transitioned from a very informal celebration of Henry’s life to a little mingling with refreshments, the afternoon December sky dimmed through the windows. We never really got to speak about perhaps the most important aspect of Henry’s life: his faith. It would only be appropriate here in closing to say that this man believed and trusted in his Creator, both in days of strength and days of frailty. He often spoke of the kingdom that the Lord was establishing within us, one of which this temporal world can only afford us brief glimpses. And though it may be difficult, next to impossible, to put into sufficient words, we had the opportunity to grasp and absorb a sampling of that faith in the remembrance of Henry’s life that afternoon, if only for the moment.
Thank you to those who were able to join us. Henry's ashes were buried in the historic Harmony Cemetery in Nacogdoches, Texas. A headstone will be set within the early months of 2024. Please feel free to leave a comment, including any memories you have of Henry.