James "Jimmy" White
WHITE, BETTS, KRAUS, GRIFFIN, PARROTT, EDMONDS
Posted By: Megan Ciha (email)
Date: 3/17/2025 at 12:07:59
James “Jimmy” White, age 71, of North Liberty, passed away on March 12, 2025, at the University of Iowa Hospital. While we’re all going to miss him like crazy, we know that he’s found the best barstool and hunting spot ever in his new home.
Born on March 18, 1953, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City, Jimmy was the son of Joseph and Mary (Ruth) White. He graduated from City High School in 1971 and held a variety of jobs in his early adulthood before settling into his true calling—wiring things up as a proud Union electrician with Local 405, where he worked from 1978 until his well- earned retirement in 2015.
He was an avid gun enthusiast and enjoyed target shooting. Jimmy also liked to fish and hunt a wide variety of game, but duck and geese were his favorite quarry (making Deb a proverbial hunting widow during the various seasons). In warmer weather, when hunting wasn’t an option, he often could be found at Hawkeye Downs Speedway, working as a member of the pit crew.
A connoisseur of good company and cold drinks, Jimmy spent plenty of time supporting Iowa City’s finest watering holes—at least until COVID turned his own garage into the legendary speakeasy known as the “Squirrel’s Nest.” He was a die-hard Hawkeye fan and a proud Kansas City Chiefs supporter, never missing a game whether he was cheering from a barstool or his couch.
Jimmy leaves behind his life partner, Deb White of North Liberty; his daughters, Lynn White (Kirk Neustrom) of North Liberty and Angie (Ken) Betts of Denver, Colorado; and his grandkids, Joseph (Grace) Kraus of Reeseville, Wisconsin, Karley Griffin of North Liberty, and Miva Betts of Denver, Colorado. He’s also survived by his sister, Janet Edmonds; brother-in-law, Timothy Parrott; eleven nieces and nephews, and bonus sons, Dave Kraus and Jason Poggenpohl; and his best buddies, Tony “A.W.” Williams and Kirk Neustrom.
And let’s not forget his beloved cats, Jett and Peaches, who are probably still waiting for him to brush them and give them extra love along with the occasional squirt of water when they misbehave.
Jimmy is now reunited with his parents, Joe and Mary; his sister and brother-in-law, Kay (Dave) Ciha; nephew, Tom Kloos; and brother-in-law, Robert Edmunds. We like to think they welcomed him with a cold one and are now enjoying an all-new Jimmy story, as he was known to never tell the same story twice.
Join us in raising a glass and sharing some stories at Jimmy’s Celebration of Life on April 5, 2025, from 2-6 PM at the Eagles Club in Iowa City. In true Jimmy fashion, come as you are, share a laugh, and remember the guy who made life just a little more fun.
Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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