September 22, 1947 – June 15, 2020 

Dick White, a longtime resident of Overland Park Kansas, was born September 22, 1947 to Charles K. “Bob” White and Ilene Delores White in Hawthorne, California and passed away on June 15, 2020.  He was 72.

Dick grew up in California and had a happy and active childhood playing outdoors and soaking up the sun.  It was obvious at an early age Dick had special skills when it came to baseball, one of his favorite sports.  He attended South High School in Torrance, California, which was just off of the famed Pacific Coast Highway.  Dick carried his passion for baseball and notable talent into high school where this “lefty” was noticed by baseball scouts.  In 1965, at the age of 17, Dick was drafted as a first baseman by the San Francisco Giants’ Minor League team so he left home and started traveling with the club.  Some of these travels took him to Mexico which helped to reinforce his strong love for Mexican food.

In the offseason of baseball, he attended El Camino College in Torrance where he majored in Art.  Dick also joined the Army National Guard and following boot camp basic combat training, spent two weeks of each season engaged in annual training exercises.  Dick continued to play baseball for 8 seasons which carried him from California, to Phoenix, and then on to Texas.

Dick met his wife, Bette Karen Statham, in Memphis, Tennessee when he and his baseball team were in town for a game.  Bette was a flight attendant on layover and happened to be staying in the same hotel as Dick.  They were both in the lobby at the same time and struck up a conversation.  Before they parted, Dick asked Bette if he could have her phone number, and before long, they started dating.  Bette moved to Los Angeles, California in 1970 which allowed them to spend more time together.  Eventually, the two of them moved to Amarillo, Texas where Dick continued to play baseball.  On May 22, 1971, Dick and Bette got married.  They had their first son, Tim, in March of 1977.

Following Dick’s baseball career, Dick and Bette moved to Kansas City in 1977 for a job opportunity which had presented itself in the insurance industry.  Their second son, Jon, was born in March of 1983.  Given Dick’s background in sports, he supported his sons in their sports endeavors which included soccer, golf, and of course, baseball.  Over time, Dick became an avid and skilled golfer.  He passed his passion for golf on to his sons. In recent years, Dick would spend a day or so per week playing golf with both of his boys and some of his amazing friends, who he truly treasured.

Tim married Jill and they had three children, Dick doted on and adored spending time with his grandchildren.  Dick and Bette’s house soon became the “go to” spot for family time and barbeques.  One of his favorite days to celebrate was of course the 4^th of July, Bette’s birthday!  Uncle Jon was always there too, joining in the fun, hopefully gracing everyone with one his of fabulous dessert creations.

In addition to his love of his family and friends, baseball, golf, animals, and life in general, Dick loved carpentry and woodworking.  He would find a picture of interest on the internet, create drawings of it, figure out the dimensions, then craft it from scratch.  He was a true craftsman with an absolutely incredible talent.  Some of Dick’s handmade creations included planter boxes, a picnic table, shelves, and amazingly enough, a rolltop desk.  His handcrafted custom furniture will be legacy items which will be passed down for generations.  The family will especially miss the times they were invited to see his newest creation in process.

The circle of family, friends, co-workers, and clients which surrounded Dick are a sign of his remarkable impact and outreach.  His legacy lives on through those of us Dick leaves behind.

Dick is survived by his wife, Bette, and his two sons, Tim and Jon; his daughter-in-law, Jill, and three grandchildren Cameron, Mackenzie, and Taylor, all of which he loved and adored tremendously.  Dick is preceded in death by his parents, Bob and Ilene as well as by his sister Carol who passed away in 2019.  His other sister, Roberta, currently lives in California.  “Grandpa Dick” is absolutely cherished and loved by his extended family on his daughter-in-law’s side of the family. He will always be remembered as an extremely proud and lovable family man.