Thomas Ralph White

Thomas Ralph White, born May 11, 1931, passed into a much more peaceful place on June 5, 2023. Beside him to the very end was the love of his life, Judy Greene White, who he convinced to begin married life with him in a small family wedding on April 14, 1959, at her home near Waynesville, NC. Judy loved and supported Ralph throughout both their lives and was at his side when his soul passed to a happier state.

Known to all as “Ralph,” he was born and lived his early years at the family home on Mt. Sterling in Haywood Co., NC. He and his brothers Frank, Charles, Wayne, Ray and Elmer helped on the family farm, attended schools in Haywood County and in Cocke County, TN, and lived a happy childhood as they roamed the mountains around home. After Ralph’s father James “Ed” White, an Army veteran of WWI, passed in 1948, the family relocated to the Candler site they still call home to this day. Ralph and all his brothers proudly served in the US armed forces.

Young Ralph graduated from high school in Cosby, TN before the family moved, and he soon began working for the American Enka Corporation. After a couple of years, Ralph proudly served in the US Army, stationed for almost two years from 1952 to late 1954 with the 24th Ordinance Direct Support unit in Korea, earning the rank of Corporal. Some of his proudest moments and memories which lived within him forever were of his Korean service for his beloved country. After returning home, Ralph immediately returned to work at Enka, and he worked there for a total of 43 years, retiring in 1995.

Ralph and Judy were proud parents of their daughter Gaye, who completed the family in 1964. Gaye brought into their lives two fine grandchildren, Nikki and Kade. Nikki made the loving White Family proud when she became the proud mother of Ralph and Judy’s great-granddaughter, Zoey. Ralph was always happiest when with his family, and even happier when they were at the Cataloochee Valley campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near his Mt. Sterling childhood home. He loved telling stories of the families who grew up there, the boys’ adventures fishing, milking cows, and digging ramps for a family feast each spring.

Judy and Ralph shared life together for 64 years, laughed often, and rarely traveled far from their home on White Terrace in Candler, still living near his brothers Charles, Wayne and Ray and their families, after Frank and Elmer passed away previously.

Ralph will be buried near Pole Creek Baptist Church, where he was a very active member since 1949 to this day, and he loved being with many friends for untold numbers of years.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at Pole Creek Baptist Church, with Pastor Ben Heise officiating. Interment will follow at Snow Hill United Methodist Cemetery.

Groce Funeral Home on Patton Avenue is assisting the family.