Obituary of Russell E. White

Russell E. White died at home on Wed. July 19, 2017 in Cortland, NY. Russell was born on May 16, 1931, to Ray White and Esther (Sprague) White. He grew up in Solon and attended McGraw Central Schools. He married Medora (Sally) Potter in 1952. Russ worked on the Frank Taylor Farm in Cortland and the Roy Smith Farm in Homer until 1961 when he began his career at Brockway Trucks. He completed his career as a valuable mechanic at the J.M. Murray Center. Russ will be remembered for his many volunteer service activities. He assisted and mentored 4-H activities in Cortland County and served on the Cooperative Extension Board. His contributions helped create Gardening and Beef showmanship competitions at the Cortland County Fair. Russ was active in his community being 'the neighbor who was always there'. A farmer at heart, he and Sally and their family raised beef cattle for many years and maintained a huge garden sharing the harvest with many. In his retirement years, Russ operated a lawn mowing/landscaping business. He and Sally purchased the Green Lake properties in 1983 which has left a legacy of hard work and fun. Russ was an avid SU basketball fan, a Brockway truck memorabilia collector, and a toy tractor/ truck collector. He enjoyed mowing lawns, spending time at the lake, and time with family and friends. Russ is survived by his wife, his three children: Roxanne Groves (Vern), Steven White (Kathi), Stephanie Potter (Daniel), his grandchildren: Erik Hobart; Lindsay, Kyle, Derek, and Michelle White; Andrew and Nathaniel Potter, a great grandchild, Brielle Minerich and step-brother, Kenneth Roundy. He was predeceased by his father, mother, and siblings Charlotte, Genevieve, Betty, Dorothy, Virginia, Marjorie, and Ray Jr. Russ will be remembered for his life of loving service to all. A memorial service will be held at Wright Beard Funeral Home on August 5th at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Brockway Truck Preservation Association, P.O. Box 333, Cortland, NY or Cortland County 4-H, 60 Central Ave. Rm. 140, Cortland, NY.