Kenneth H. White of Delmar passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, surrounded by his loving family.
He was born in Delmar on June 16, 1935, the son of the late Herman J. and Margaret Figgs White.
Kenny graduated from Delmar High School with the class of 1954. It was there that he met his high school sweetheart, Myrtle Peterman, who became his wife on June 15, 1957, and together they shared 66 years of marriage. He proudly served his country in the Delaware National Guard from 1953 to 1962. He worked in the grocery business for several years before joining the Bank of Delmar, from where he retired in 1997 after 27 years of service. After retirement Kenny enjoyed volunteering at Harvest Ministries in Delmar for several years. Kenny served his beloved community of Delmar in so many ways and was a member of Melson’s Methodist Church where he had attended all of his life and served on several church boards and committees. He also served on the Delmar Town Council from 1978 to 1982 and volunteered as President of the Delmar Little League for four years. He had a passion for horse racing and owned several standardbred race horses, was a member of the Delaware Standardbred Owner’s Association and the Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners’ Association of Maryland.
Kenny’s faith in God was evident in all he accomplished and he never skipped a morning reading his Bible. He had an appreciation for nature and truly enjoyed raising Bantam chickens and feeding and watching the birds and squirrels. Other hobbies were word search puzzles and watching old TV shows, especially Westerns. While Kenny never met a stranger, he truly enjoyed riding his bike around town, stopping and talking to old friends and making new ones. When his legs wouldn’t allow him to ride his bike, he made his rounds around town in his 1981 Chevette he fondly named “Putt Putt.” Most of all, he was a true family man, and spending time with his family and friends meant the most to him.
He is survived by his wife, Myrtle Peterman White; sons, Kevin White (Jane) and Keith White (Wendy), all of Delmar; grandchildren, Jennifer King (Orlando) of Seaford, Kevin White, Jr. of Delmar and Johnathon White of Delmar; great-grandchildren, Olivia White and Landon and Emily King; brother-in-law, Roy L. Peterman (Sarah) of Greenwood; and sister-in-law, Margaret Carey (Norman) of Delmar. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins; his four-legged sidekick, “Peanut” and his Cockatiel “Leo.”
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Janet Trader McNelia.
A visitation for family and friends will be held on Thursday, Feb. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Short Funeral Home in Delmar. A graveside service will be held on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 at 11 a.m. at St. Stephen’s Cemetery in Delmar. Pastor John Oltman will officiate. Kenny’s special request was casual attire for the visitation and service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his memory to Melson’s Methodist Church, 32705 Melson’s Church Road, Delmar, MD 21875, or to Delaware Hospice Center, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19963.
Arrangements are in the care of Short Funeral Home in Delmar. Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.shortfh.com.