Don White (1941-2020)

WHITE, HARTMAN, TISDALE

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 12/23/2020 at 17:50:40

Don Willis White, 79, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Dec. 18, 2020, at Mercy Medical Center.
The family would like to thank the eighth floor nursing staff at Mercy Medical Center and the staff of Mercy Hospice Comfort Care for the compassionate care of Don during his illness.
Don was born April 10, 1941, in Cedar Rapids, to Raymond and Helen (Hartman) White. He was a graduate of Cedar Rapids Washington High School, Class of 1959. Don was married to Mary (Tisdale) White on June 11, 1977.
Don's favorite activities were conversation and revisiting "time machine" events and places in Cedar Rapids, as well as his passion for cars and trains. His memories of his days at Danceland, talking about Union Station and the Rock Island Railroad were very important subjects of conversation to him. Don was open to sharing all about the history of the Rock Island Railroad for which he worked during this college years. He spent many years with special friends and his wife doing rail fan activities throughout the United States. He was a member of the Cedar Rapids Rail Fan Club and made long lasting friendships through the club. When planning trips and vacations the train was the priority.
He earned a master's degree in education at Marycrest College and taught at Marengo High School, North Linn High School and North Cedar High School and substituted in the Cedar Rapids School District.
Left to treasure his memory is his wife, Mary; his sister, Marsha (Jack) Sweet; his niece, Lori (Jeff) Glisch and family; and his nephew, Chris Milroy and family; as well as his in-laws, Tom and Raylene Tisdale and family, David and Kathy Tisdale and family, and Donna Mason and family. His Hartman cousins and the many get togethers that they shared through the years were always special times to him.
Waiting to greet him with open hearts on his journey home will be his parents; his family circle of aunts and uncles; brother-in-law, Alan Mason; his niece, Krista Tisdale Nissen; as well as his special friends, Ron and Jackie McMurrin.
Private family services will be held Tuesday, Dec. 22, at Fredregill Funeral Home in Zearing, Iowa. Burial will be at Lincoln Township Cemetery in Zearing. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the United Way East Central Iowa, 317 Seventh Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52042.