“His life was
gentle, and the elements so mixed in him that Nature might stand up and
say to all the world, ‘This was a Man’.”
Fred N. White
(79) died peacefully at home, October 11, 2006, from Alzheimer’s
Disease. Fred was the dearly beloved husband of Rosanne Son White, and
the only child of Fred and Effie Frances White. Fred is also survived by
his former wife, Maxine E. White of Little Rock. Born in Yelgar, Allen
Parish, Louisiana, raised in Fort Worth, Fred spent much of his youth
fishing with his father in the swamps and bayous of Louisiana and the
lakes and rivers of north Texas. His father guided him carefully to an
honorable manhood. Fred learned to love the creatures of the earth and
resolved early in life that they would be the focus of his life’s work.
Fred served in
the U.S. Army during WWII. He enlisted at the age of 17 and quickly
became a platoon sergeant: training new troops in such things as squad
tactics and weapons use. Fred always said he felt a keen responsibility
for the lives of the soldiers he trained. It was there he found he had
a talent for teaching.
Fred earned his
BS and MS in Biology from U of Houston and his PhD in Physiology from U
of Illinois in 1953. In his 20’s, Fred was Assistant Professor of
Biology at U of Houston, and Assistant Professor of Experimental
Medicine at U of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas. Fred worked
under Arthur Grollman, with whom he co-authored papers on renal
hypertension that became classics in physiology.
In 1959, Fred
went to Lebanon for 3 years as Associate Professor of Biology at
American University of Beirut. He developed a life-long love of the
Middle East and Arab culture. During this time, he traveled extensively
in Africa. In South Africa he spent time with the eminent anthropologist
Raymond Dart and visited Dart’s excavations at Makapansgat. Fred
enjoyed telling the story of the summer he spent collecting and studying
the biochemistry of snake venom. In Nairobi, he was assisted in the work
by his friend Jonathan Leakey. Jonathan was bitten by a poisonous snake,
and Fred’s quick action with his vial of rare anti-venom saved the young
man’s life. While Jonathan recovered, Fred was the houseguest of
Jonathan’s grateful parents, Mary and L.S.B. Leakey. Over brandy and
cigars one evening, Louis Leakey showed Fred some skull fragments. The
two men mulled over the fragments and did rough calculations on cranium
capacity. The bones later became known as Homo Habilis.
In 1963, Fred
was offered the position of Professor of Physiology at UCLA. Fred’s
outstanding teaching won him honors, including the Distinguished
Teaching Award from UCLA, the Golden Apple Award from the Student AMA,
and the Lederle Medical Faculty Award.
In his 40’s Fred
continued his teaching and research. He led numerous scientific
expeditions supported by National Geographic and UCLA, studying animal
behavior. Fred loved his expeditions to remote places; he was awed by
the majesty of nature. He studied marine iguanas in the Galapagos
Islands; elephant seals in Guadalupe Island, Pacific Ocean; penguins in
the Antarctic; weaverbirds with giant nests in the Kalahari Desert,
Africa; European bee-eater birds near Cordoba, Spain; and African
hornbill birds in the Nylsvley Region of South Africa.
In his 50’s Fred
was invited to be Director of the Physiological Research Laboratory at
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, with a cross appointment of
Professor of Medicine at UC San Diego. Fred was internationally known
for his scientific studies. His greatest contributions were his
discoveries relating to acid-base regulation of body fluids during
hypothermia. These discoveries altered some accepted procedures of
anesthesiologists and have saved many human lives. Fred’s scientific
contributions have literally left this world a better place.
Fred was invited
to present his work on acid-base regulation at a symposium at the
Vatican. He met Pope John Paul II with whom he enjoyed a private stroll
and an extended conversation.
Fred was awarded
numerous honors and prizes in his lifetime. Among them were his 1983
election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science. In 1984 he was awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt
Preis (Senior Scientist Prize) by the Republic of West Germany. This
prize provided him the means to live and do research at the Max Planck
Institute in Goettingen, Germany.
As a Fellow of
the San Diego Zoological Society, Fred helped with animal exhibits at
the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. In 1981 he was part of a
Delegation from the SD Zoo that visited the People’s Republic of China
and the giant panda reserves.
Fred was a
member of Alamo Heights Rotary Club. He loved the comradeship and the
goals of Rotary: “Service above self.”
Fred retained
connections with colleagues and friends from all phases of his life. He
is remembered for the caring warmth of his friendship, his humor and
sense of fun, his devilish pixy wit and perennial smile, his long and
interesting conversations. Colleagues describe his sage council,
extraordinary ingenuity, incisive intellect, inspired ideas, and
meticulous investigations. Colleagues also describe his illuminating
contributions in biology and medicine, his important contributions to
physiological ecology and medical physiology. His work on circulation
and gas exchange dynamics in reptiles will rank as classic studies in
comparative physiology.
He was kind,
gentle and gracefully modest. In Fred’s last days, even with his
decline, he retained a sweetness and gallant courtesy toward strangers,
and for those close to him, his love was as generous as the sun. From
1997, Fred was the loving husband of Rosanne--he was the love of her
life.
The family
gratefully thanks loving caregiver Myrtle Lewis and the wonderful and
caring staff of Odyssey Hospice.
In lieu of
flowers, the family suggests donations to the charity of your choice.
Rev Raymond Judd
will preside over funeral services, which will be held at Fort Sam
Houston National Cemetery on Monday, October 16, 11:15 am. Fred will be
buried with military honors.
Permission is
given for this writing to be published as an obituary for Fred N. White,
Jr. However, the writer, Rosanne S. White retains any copyright rights
she may have to this work. Permission to publish does not constitute
the giving or transferring of copyright rights.
