John Boyd White

On New Years Day 1932 John Russell and Zola Grace White celebrated the birth of their firstborn son, John Boyd. He was born shortly after midnight on that Tulsa, Oklahoma morning, and soon grew to be a lanky young man with a passion for the outdoors.Achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in his early teens, he was an independent, industrious, and adventurous young man. When his dad, by then a Colonel in the US Army was stationed in Japan, young John Boyd stayed home to finish high school and then on his own took a bus from Tulsa to Seattle, hopped a boat, and traveled across the Pacific to be with the rest of the family.He returned to the states to attend University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and finished his forestry degree from West Virginia University in 1955. That year he married the Morgantown native Nadine Reese, and served at Ft Belvoir Virginia for three years as a Lieutenant in the Army. His first daughter Sue Ann was born there.The young family headed west where he enjoyed a successful career in the US Forest Service, moving up and down the Willamette Valley in Oregon and having a second daughter, Terri Lynn.After John and Nadines 1981 divorced, he moved to Missoula, Montana to work as the USFS Region One Planning Director. There he met and married Marilyn Templeton. They moved to Rockville Maryland and finished their careers there, before retiring in Edmonds where they lived in the home built by his father in Emerald Hills.John and Marilyn enjoyed 34 years of outdoor adventures in the mountains, fishing and canoeing on the rivers and lakes, boating on the waters of Puget Sound aboard their 34 cruiser Marikova, and traveled throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. They spent winter months in Bucerias, Mexico. They have friends and family across the country, reflecting their great joy in living life to the fullest. The cancer that eventually took his life on December 2, had to fight hard to beat this resilient, healthy man. He lived fully with it for more than 10 years.John was a devoted and loving father, husband and friend. His generous spirit and quick smile will be sorely missed.He is survived by his wife Marilyn Templeton, his brother Gerald White, his daughters Sue Ann Barton (Steve) and Terri Lynn Bartish (Tim-deceased), stepdaughter Nancy Templeton (Carlos), stepsons Tom Templeton and Neil Templeton (Erin), and 8 wonderful grandchildren: Whitney, Cole, Sam, Nick, Anna Maria, Elena, Emma and Lily.The family would like to express their gratitude to the amazing medical staff at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, in particular Dr. Janis Abkowitz. In lieu of flowers, the family requests you make a donation to the charity of your choice that is working in a positive direction to make this world a better place.