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WHITE -- Julian Eugene White, Jr., was a Fulbright scholar, an author, and an expert in Romance languages. He served thousands of University of New Mexico students as a professor of modern and classical languages and as director of the College of Arts and Sciences Advisement Center over a 30-year career at UNM. Despite his many public academic achievements, however, Mr. White took greatest pride in being a dutiful husband, a loving father, and a doting grandfather. Mr. White, known to all as "Bob", died Tuesday, April 19, 2011 of complications from heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 78 years old. Mr. White was born in Hanover County, VA in 1932 to Julian E. White, Sr. and Mary White. The son of a Methodist minister who frequently changed parishes, Mr. White grew up in a variety of communities in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. He skipped several grades but nevertheless graduated first in his class at Crewe High School in Crewe, VA. Mr. White was not chosen valedictorian because of a rule change that prohibited him, as a transfer student, from receiving that honor. The school's faculty recognized the slight, however, and awarded him a medal instead. Mr. White entered college as a 15-year-old and earned a bachelor's degree in ancient and modern languages from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA in 1952. He did graduate study at the University of Virginia and earned his master's degree in romance languages from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1954. In 1955 and 1956, Mr. White studied at the University of Paris as a Fulbright Fellow. The merit-based Fulbright program, named for former U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, is the world's most prestigious and widely recognized international exchange program. After his Fulbright fellowship, Mr. White enlisted in the United States Navy, serving four years as an air intelligence officer in a seaplane squadron and as operations officer aboard a destroyer, the USS Lowry. He was honorably discharged in 1960. After his Navy service, Mr. White became an assistant professor of French and comparative literature at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, VA. While he taught at Mary Baldwin, Mr. White completed his doctorate in romance languages, earning his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1962. In 1964, Mr. White joined UNM's faculty as an assistant professor, and from 1976 until 1991 he served as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He served thousands of students as director of the college's advisement center from 1980 until 1991, and he continued to teach a variety of classes, including Old French, Old Spanish, Old Portuguese, Medieval French Literature, French Literature of the 17th Century, Dante, Tragedy (Comparative), Accelerated Latin, Greek, Comparative Romance Philology, Old Provencal and Medieval Paleography. He wrote a book on French poet, author, and literary critic Nicolas Boileau, which was published in 1969. Mr. White retired in 1995. During his career, Mr. White would rise early, often arriving at UNM before the sun rose, so he could get home before or shortly after his children were let out of school and help them with their homework. All three of Mr. White's children went on to obtain advanced academic degrees. Mr. White's hobbies and interests included trout fishing, breeding and exhibiting Siamese and Colorpoint Shorthair cats, and gardening. Mr. White was an avid reader of all types of literature, but he exhaustively studied Civil War scholarship and biographies of his hero, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Mr. White is survived by his wife and partner of 57 years, Elizabeth H. White of Albuquerque; daughters, Susan D. White of Rancho Santa Fe, CA and Laura E. White of Port Orchard, WA; son, Geoffrey D. White of Albuquerque; sisters, Barbara Moore of Richmond, VA and Mary Lee Pittard of Southern Shores, NC; granddaughters, Jennifer C. Gowan of Northridge, CA and Madeline Virtue and Samantha Virtue of Port Orchard, WA; as well as many nieces, nephews and more distant relations. Private memorial services will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the White family asks for donations in Mr. White's name to the Salvation Army, 4301 Bryn Mawr Dr. NE, Albuquerque, 87107, the Winn Feline Foundation, 390 Amwell Road, Suite 402, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 or Mary Baldwin College, 318 Prospect St, Staunton, VA 24401. Please visit our online guestbook for Mr. White at: www.RememberTheirStory.com FRENCH 7121 Wyoming Blvd. NE (505) 823-9400
        Published on: Sun April 24, 2011