BIOGRAPHY

White was born as Helen Douglas Abernathy in Fort Lawn, South Carolina, USA, on 21 September 1906. Her parents were William Leslie Abernathy (1876–1955) and Martha Mary Williams (1880–1966). She had at least four siblings.

White attended Erskine College for one year before transferring to Flora Macdonald College in Red Springs, North Carolina. There, she earned her degree in Home Economics and, in 1928, accepted a teaching position at Centenary High School in Marion County. It was in Centenary that she met her future husband, Harry Alton White, Sr., whom she married on Christmas Day in 1933.

Over the next 50 years, the couple moved several times across Georgia and North Carolina, following Harry’s career. They welcomed a daughter, Jerri, and later moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, before settling in Griffin, Georgia, where their son, Harry Jr., was born. After two years in Griffin, Harry accepted a promotion in Athens, Georgia, and the family lived there for nine years. During that time, White earned an advanced degree in education.

The family eventually returned to Raleigh, where they lived for 22 years. While there, White taught at the Governor Morehead School for the Blind for 16 years. She was a pioneer in integrating community members into the classroom experience, helping students develop practical skills for independent living.

In 1978, the couple moved back to Centenary. Her husband passed away in May 1984.

White passed away in Centenary, South Carolina, USA, on 16 October 2018, at the age of 112 years 25 days. She was survived by her two children, one grandson, and one great-grandson.

RECOGNITION

Her age was validated by LongeviQuest on 30 March 2023.

ATTRIBUTION

* Helen Douglas Abernathy White – FindAGrave

* Helen Douglas Abernathy White Obituary – Cox Collins Funeral Home, 2018

GALLERY