Kenneth 'Gene' White, 74

Posted

Kenneth “Gene” White, 74, of Hillsboro, died on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at 7 p.m. at his residence.

Visitation will be held Sunday, Jan. 29, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bass Patton Dean Funeral Home in Hillsboro. Funeral Mass will be conducted Monday, Jan. 30, beginning at 10 a.m. at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Hillsboro with Father Daniel Willenborg, pastor of St. Agnes Catholic Church, officiating. Burial will follow at St. Agnes Catholic Cemetery in Hillsboro.

Mr. White was born June 8, 1948, in St. Elmo, to Cecil Rex White and Dorothy (Koonce) White Gerhart. He married Susan Reck on Dec. 27, 1969, at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Hillsboro, and she survives.

He graduated from Hillsboro High School and earned his bachelor’s degree from Greenville College in Greenville. In 1989, he attained his financial advisor’s license.

During his career, Mr. White served as an educator, teaching school in Mt. Prospect and Litchfield for 25 years. He then started a financial business in 1989, White and Associates in Hillsboro, where he served his clients until his retirement in 2015.

He was a member of St. Agnes Catholic Church in Hillsboro, where he was a eucharistic minister and usher; the Knights of Columbus, where he had served as Grand Knight twice, for 49 years; the Educational Foundation for 12 years, eight as president; and the Hillsboro County Club, where he served as treasurer. He was also president of the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce for two years.

Mr. White loved fishing trips with his grandchildren, gardening, humming birds and had taken trips with his four oldest grandchildren when they each turned 13. He loved learning languages and was fairly fluent in both German and Italian. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle and brother. He was fiercely independent and strong.

Aside from living in Villa Park for three years, he resided in Hillsboro his entire lifetime.

In addition to his wife, Mr. White is survived by his daughters, Beth (husband Brandon) Wille and Angie (husband Jeff) Eickhoff, both of Hillsboro, and Gina (husband Jason) Burke of Irving; six grandchildren, Ray Wille, Aaron Wille, Alex Eickhoff, Maddie Eickhoff, Camden Burke and Renna Burke; sister, Sharon (husband Chuck) Davis of Chatham; two brothers, Daryl White of Chatham and Clayton (wife Veronica) White of Bar Nunn, WY; and two brothers-in-law, Randy (wife Lisa) Reck of Hillsboro and David (wife Lynda) Reck of Sebring, FL.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Donna White at birth.

Memorials may be directed to the Hillsboro Education Foundation, Camden’s Crew or the Montgomery County Cancer Association. Online condolences to the family may be left at www.basspattondeanfh.com.