World War II vet, longtime Springfield business owner Bill White celebrates 100th birthday
Bill White wasn't much for recreation.
His friends and colleagues golfed, hunted and fished, but White, a World War II veteran and electrician, found most of his joy in productivity.
A former owner of multiple Springfield electric and security system companies, White — who labored on his farm's ample acreage most weekends — was in an almost perpetual state of motion.
He lived through a depression, and has long understood the value of hard work and having the means to provide for a family.
"He enjoyed that, and it showed in the way he treated people," said White's son, David White, one of the dozens of friends and family members who celebrated the patriarch's birthday on Saturday at Walter Mill Church of Christ.
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It was a big one. Bill White turned 100 years old, something he didn't think would happen after nearly succumbing to heart complications in 1993.
"When I reached 70, I thought I was done. But I had to keep going," White said between the handshakes of relatives. "I was very active until I was about 95 years old."
Very active.
"When he went to Costa Rica with my husband and I, he was zip-lining at age 86," said White's daughter, Peggy Lindsey.
In recognition for reaching the milestone and for his life's work, White received a proclamation letter from Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Congressional Letter of Recognition from U.S. Sen. Eric Burlison, and several other letters from offices in Greene County.
"He has lived a wonderful life, he really has," son Jerry White said. "He's done everything he wanted to do."
From Central High to WWII and back again
Bill White graduated from Central High School (formerly known as Springfield High School) in 1941 before he was inducted into the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943.
White logged more than 200 hours as a radio gunner, and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant from the 112th Army Air Force Unit in 1946. He received a Good Conduct Medal, an American Theater Campaign Ribbon, and a Victory Medal.
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He and his late wife of 67 years, Ida Mae, had four children and nine grandchildren. White, who married Gail Jackson in 2010, currently has 19 great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
After White earned a master electrician license in 1964, he bought Dameron Electric Company in 1970, and owned it for 14 years. He later started SoMo Electric Company and Sentry Security, which was bought by Atlas Security in 1998. He retired in 1999 at age 76.
His greatest accomplishment in his century of life?
"Getting to 100," he deadpanned.
"Always a joker," his son Jerry said. "Always a joker. "
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: WWII vet, security company owner Bill White celebrates hitting 100
