Final Salute

Robert “Bob” White
March 21, 1940 – May 24, 2023
Gulfport, Mississippi – Robert “Bob” White, 83, of Long Beach, passed away on May 24, 2023. He was born on March 21, 1940, in Poughkeepsie, New York, the youngest child of Frank and Dorothy White. Bob proudly served his country in the United States Navy as a Seabee for 21 years. While on active duty, Bob went on numerous deployments all over the world including two tours in Vietnam. After retiring from the Navy, he got a job as a mechanic for the city of Long Beach. But Bob wanted more and at the age of 50, he decided he wanted to be a police officer. He successfully completed his training at the Police Academy in Jackson outperforming other candidates who were more than half his age. Bob retired from that position in 2002 but, always needing to stay busy, he continued to work at the Long Beach Harbor doing security until 2018. In his spare time, he loved fishing, water skiing, working on old cars, going to the casino, watching wrestling, and was a model train enthusiast. He served on the board of the Mississippi Coast Model Railroad Museum and had a collection of trains proudly on display in the train room at his house. He loved showing off his trains to his great-grandchildren and anyone else he could convince to look. Until his health began to decline, he was actively involved in the Cruisin the Coast festivities in Long Beach. He was also a vital member of the NMCB-128 Reunion Committee and an active congregant of Trinity Pentecostal Tabernacle. Bob’s greatest joy in life was his family and he adored spending time with them. He was larger than life…never met a stranger…he was…Bob White.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Frank Jr. and his wife of 56 years, Barbara “Babs” White. He is survived by a sister, Clara Marquardt, of Conway, SC; his children, Jeff (Jodie) White of Colorado and Beth (Joe) Liberato of Gulfport, MS; his grandchildren, Jessica (Troy) Nichols, Ashley (Dusty) Burkette, and their mom Kathy White, Adrian (Caleb) Watkins, Vince Liberato, Kim Huffman, and Anthony Liberato; great-grandchildren, Annistyn and Dylan Nichols, Greyson, Bailey, and Mason Burkette, Sammie Watkins, Maddison, Sophie, and Jack Liberato, and Cooper Huffman. He is also survived by his special friend Johana Strano of Bay St. Louis, MS.
The funeral service will be at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, May 31st at Riemann Family Funeral Home, 11280 Three Rivers Road, Gulfport, MS 39503 with visitation from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Memories may be shared and condolences left at www.riemannfamily.com

Published by The Sun Herald on May 28, 2023.