Obituary of James White

James “Jimmy” White, a man who loved his family, friends, and home, passed away at his home Thursday evening succumbing to his long battle with Cancer. He was 48 years old. Jimmy was born and raised in Woburn. He was a graduate of Woburn High School, Class of 1982, where he was involved in the school’s music program. He had worked for 20 years as a letter carrier in Burlington for the US Postal Service. He married his wife Kathy in 1995 and they settled in Burlington in 1996. Jimmy’s life revolved around his family, friends, and his home. He was a caring and loving husband to his wife Kathy and a devoted owner to his dog Jake. He loved entertaining family and friends at his home and around his pool. Jimmy loved his home and spent years meticulously maintaining and improving it. His home was truly his palace. Jimmy was a huge sports fan with the Patriot’s being his favorite Boston sports team. He loved going out to eat, spending afternoons on the golf course, and weekends away skiing with friends. He and Kathy loved to travel, with St. John’s being their most favorite destination. His passing is difficult to accept, but he leaves lasting memories and a special place in the hearts of all his family and friends. Jimmy was the beloved husband of 17 years of Kathleen M. (Gould). He was the loving son of Paul and Lorraine (Waterson) White of Woburn. Brother of Kevin & his wife Barbara of Lynnfield and Paul & his wife Doreen of Natick. Son-in-law of the late Margaret Gould. Brother-in-law of John Gould & his wife Anne of Glen Ellyn, IL, and Joseph Gould of Lexington. Uncle of Owen, Lily, Nora, Michael, & Leah White and Brian and Cara Gould. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Funeral Mass at Saint Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Monday from 4-8 p.m. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. Interment will be private. Memorials in Jimmy’s name may be made to the Jimmy Fund, c/o Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168. Words by Alan Alan Poulin OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS, IN PERSON AND THROUGH THE TOUCHING ENTRIES INTO THE ON-LINE GUEST BOOK SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE CONVEYED SO MANY THOUGHTS AND MEMORIES OF JIMMY THAT HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS FELT THAT TAKING THIS TIME NOW TO PASS SOME OF THOSE ALONG MADE SENSE, BECAUSE THESE COLLECTIVE THOUGHTS AND STORIES TRULY CAPTURE JIMMY’S SPIRIT WHENEVER A LIFE ENDS THIS EARLY THRU ILLNESS, THE EMOTION IS BEYOND WORDS. BUT JIMMY LIVED A LIFE THAT SHOULD BE CELEBRATED AND THE WORDS TO CAPTURE A SMALL PART OF JIMMY ARE THOSE FROM COLLECTIVE MEMORIES AND THOUGHTS OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND SO THERE ARE MEMORIES OF JIMMY THE OPTIMIST. THERE IS THE THE STORY OF A TRIP TO NEW HAMPSHIRE AND A HUNGRY GROUP OF PEOPLE. JIMMY REMEBERED A PIZZA PLACE WITH THE BEST PIZZA HE HAD EVER HAD JUST 5 MINUTES UP THE ROAD. WELL 5 MINUTES TURNED INTO 30 AND OF COURSE THE WAIT FOR THE PIZZA AND THE TRIP BACK MEANT A VERY HUNGRY GROUP, BUT THEY SAID INDEED THE PIZZA WAS GREAT, MAYBE EVEN WORTH THE LONG TRIP. OR JIMMY THE OPTIMIST WHEN IT CAME TO DOING WORK ON HIS HOUSE. HE WOULD TELL PEOPLE HIS PLANS TO MOVE ROOMS AND MOVE WALLS AND BUILD OUTDOOR WATERFALLS AND THOSE PLANS WOULD SOUND MAYBE TOO OPTIMISTIC BUT SURE ENOUGH HE WENT OUT AND MADE THAT HAPPEN AND THRU TALENT AND HARD WORK RE-MADE A HOUSE INTO THE VISION THAT HE AND KATHY HAD. STORIES ALSO CENTER AROUND JIMMY THE GENEROUS GIVER. THERE WAS THE COVETED TICKET TO A REDSOX OPENING DAY RIGHT AFTER THE TEAM HAD WON THE WORLD SERIES. HE AND KATHY INDEED HELD THE TICKET TO THE HOTTEST GAME AROUND BUT BECAUSE HE FELT KATHY’S BEST FRIEND WOULD ENJOY IT EVEN MORE, SO HE NONCHALENTLY PASSED IT ALONG TO HER AND WATCHED THE GAME ON TV. THERE WERE SO MANY STORIES OF FRIENDS WHO SAID THAT NO SOONER HAD THEY DESCRIBED A PROJECT OR A JOB THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE OR AN EVENT TO BE PLANNED WOULD JIMMY IMMEDIATELY OFFER UP HIS TRUCK, HIS TOOLS OR HIS TIME AND ADVICE, ALWAYS MANAGING TO EASE THE BURDEN OF THE JOB OR EVENT OR IN MANY CASES JUST MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE FUN. AND THE GIFTS HE GAVE KATHY FOR BIRTHDAYS AND CHRISTMAS WERE ALWAYS PERFECT AND WELL PLANNED. EVEN WHEN HE WAS ILL THIS PAST YEAR, HE DESCRIBED FOR A FRIEND A VERY PRECISE GIFT THAT HE WOULD LIKE PICKED UP FOR KATHY EVEN THOUGH HE WAS TOO ILL TO SHOP. AND OF COURSE JAKE, THE DOG HE LOVED SO MUCH, WILL BE A LITTLE LESS WELL FED IN THE FUTURE AS HE WON’T BENEFIT AS MUCH FROM JIM’S GENEROSITY OF A LITTLE EXTRA FOOD HERE AND THERE. MOSTLY THOUGH, THERE ARE MEMORIES OF JIMMY THE FRIEND, THE BROTHER, THE HUSBAND AND THE SON. WHAT BETTER TESTIMONY TO HIS GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT THAN THAT JIMMY’S BROTHER WAS A BEST FRIEND AND THAT HIS BEST FRIEND WAS LIKE A BROTHER. THERE ARE NIECES AND NEPHEWS HERE TODAY, SOME OF WHOM AREN’T EVEN RELATED THROUGH BLOOD, BUT WON’T MISS HIM ANY THE LESS BECAUSE OF THAT. THIS GENORISITYOF SPIRIT AND HIS “HEART OF GOLD” IS WHAT ALL HAVE OBSERVED SET JIMMY APART. MANY HAVE OBSERVED THAT WHEN YOU MET JIMMY YOU QUICKLY FELT YOU HAD KNOWN HIM FOR YEARS NOT MINUTES. THERE WERE MANY FUN GATHERINGS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND CAPE COD AND TRIPS TO THE CARRIBEAN WHERE VISITORS WHO HAPPENED TO BE AT PARTIES OR GET TOGETHERS AND MET JIM FOR THE FIRST TIME AND BEFORE THE EVENING HAD BARELY STARTED THEY AND JIMMY WERE KIDDING EACH OTHER AS IF THEY WERE LONG LOST BUDDIES. AS A HUSBAND JIMMY WAS ALWAYS THINKING OF KATHY AND RIGHT UP UNTIL THESE LAST FEW DAYS NOTHING WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO HIM THAN BEING SURE THE LITTLEST DETAILS WERE ADDRESSED. KATHY’S MOTHER AND BROTHER ALWAYS KNEW JIM WOULD DO THE BEST HE COULD TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF KATHY AS LONG AS HE COULD.- AND HE DID. AS A SON, JIMMY ALWAYS KEPT HIS PARENTS IN THE CENTER OF HIS AND KATHY’S LIFE AND FOR YEARS JIMMY LOOKED OUT FOR KATHY’S MOTHER’S NEEDS AS IF SHE WERE HIS OWN MOTHER. AND AS JIMMY WAS SPENDING TIME WITH HIS FAMILY AND HIS FRIENDS THERE WERE CERTAIN THINGS HE WAS PARTICULARLY PASSIONATE ABOUT. HE LOVED SPENDING TIME WITH PEOPLE WHETHER IT WAS TRAVELLING A DISTANCE TO VISIT, OR JUST HANGING AROUND WATCHING A GAME. CERTAINLY THERE WAS GOLF AND SKI TRIPS AND A LOVE OF SUNSETS ON THE OCEAN. HE WAS A PASSIONATE AND KNOWLEDGEABLE FAN OF THE PATRIOTS AND REDSOX AND LOVED ATTENDING GAMES BUT PROBABLY AN EVEN GREATER PASSION WAS GREAT FOOD ENJOYED WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THE CHICKEN WINGS AND MEATBALLS THAT HE MADE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE’S FAVORITES AND HE WAS ALWAYS VERY PARTICULAR ABOUT HIS FAVORITE CHINESE FOOD OR THE BEST MENU ITEMS AT HIS FAVORITE RESTAURANTS LIKE THE LOBSTER ALFREDO AT TOM SHAYS OR SAMPLING WHO MADE THE BEST GENERAL GAU’S CHICKEN. THESE WERE ALL THE ENDEARING HUMAN QUALITIES IN JIMMY AND MAYBE THE THEME THAT RUNS THROUGH ALL OF THIS IS THAT JIMMY WAS ALWAYS UNAPOLEGETICALLY JIMMY. HE ABSOLUTELY NEVER TRIED TO BE SOMEBODY HE WASN’T. HE WOULD ALWAYS TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT HE THOUGHT AND IF HE KNEW YOU DIDN’T AGREE WITH HIM THERE WAS NEVER ANY MALICE, IT WAS JUST HIS WAY TO TELL YOU WHAT WAS ON HIS MIND AND IT MADE FOR MORE FUN AND WARMTH IN THE LIVES OF ALL WHO CAME IN CONTACT WITH HIM. IT IS CERTAINLY TRUE THAT A HUGE MEASURE OF A MAN IS HOW MUCH HE WILL BE MISSED AND OVER THE PAST FEWS DAYS IT HAS BECOME EVEN CLEARER TO ALL OF US JUST HOW MUCH JIMMY WILL BE MISSED.