Joe Aldeon White

Joe Aldeon White, 75, of Dyersburg, passed away Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 2:30 PM at West Tennessee Healthcare Dyersburg Hospital from complications of heart failure.

Joe was born February 4th, 1944, to the late Melvin Monroe White and late Beatrice Hudson, in a house on stilts in the bottomlands of Finley Tennessee (outside Dyersburg). The youngest of 4 children, Joe was doted on as the baby of the family. Five years after he was born, the family moved north to Gary Indiana to find work at US Steel. Joe was married in 1961 at the tender age of 17 to Lois Ele (same age) and between them they produced 6 children.

Dad loved to tell stories. Especially of life in the South, for example regaling listeners with tales of picking cotton as a kid or living without running water. Dad worked a short stint as a crane operator at US Steel, but his true profession was meat-cutter for nearly 40 years. Dad was known as a hard-worker who consistently showed up on time. In 1977 he and Lois moved their family to Oregon.
Throughout his life Dad loved travel, history, southern gospel music, and eating “down-home” cooking. He was a regular attendee at church services (2-4 times a week for many years) he was too infirm to travel.

Dad made some grave mistakes in his lifetime and paid the consequences for doing so. Late in life, Dad chose to leave Oregon and move to west Tennessee to spend his final years. During this time he met and married Sylvia Delashmit of Covington. Later divorced, Dad spent his final years in Dyersburg, as close as he could be to what he considered the family homestead in Finley. Just last year DNA-sharing revealed a daughter that Dad did not know about. After being contacted, Dad got to know her as well and welcomed her into the family.
Dad was well-known to Party Line radio listeners in the Dyersburg area by the handle “Caledonia”.

Dad is survived by his sister Geraldine Bizzle of Crown Point Indiana, and his 7 children: Nicholas White, Sandra Rollins, Jo Whitney, Mary McFarland, Naomi Marlitt, Rebecca Castro, and Jim White, (all of whom live out-do-state), plus a mere 17 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. Dad‘s final wish were that his ashes be sprinkled in the bottoms-land near the old place - to be returned where he began.

Cremation will be under the direction of Curry Funeral Home.

We are privileged and honored to serve the White family. You may share your condolences and your memories with the family at www.curryfuneral.com.