Lloyd Raymond White

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White, Lloyd Raymond a man of seeming contradictions. A chemical engineer, he never put chemicals on his lawn. A trained scientist, he sang for more than two decades in the choir of Westminster Presbyterian Church and in the Masterworks Chorale. And he loved nature, spending time "Up North" as he reveled in the marvels of the world, even though his job was to tinker with them. Lloyd, who earned eight patents for his work, died June 20 in the Twin Cities at 84 after a brief struggle with AML leukemia. "He was someone who had all these pursuits and found who he was and what he valued in resolving these contradictions," Carl White, his son, said. Born Jan. 2, 1937 in Brainerd, Minn., he was the second child of jack-of-all trades Marvin "Bud" White and nurse Esther White. Ever curious, he excelled in school, and was the valedictorian of the 1955 class of Columbia Heights High School. Lloyd received his bachelor's degree in 1959 from the University of Minn., and a master's degree in chemical engineering, a year later from Columbia University. He earned his doctorate, also in chemical engineering, from the University of Minnesota, where he would teach as adjunct faculty for 30 years. Nicknamed "Jockey" by his father, Lloyd had a long love with Carol Mae Johnson, with whom he grew up. Lloyd's big sister, Carol, was best friends with Carol's older sister, Romelle. The sisters' parents, Ingvald and Alma Johnson, provided a loving example of what family life could be, and Lloyd strove to emulate them. Lloyd and Carol attended the same schools most of their lives and began dating while students at the University of Minnesota. They married in 1959 and had 61 years together. Their children were born as they moved for work and education. Sons Stuart and Carl were born in 1961 and 1963 in Appleton, Wisc., where he worked at the Institute of Paper Chemistry. Daughter Paula was born in Minneapolis in 1966 while he finished his doctorate. And daughter Erika was born in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1968, a year after the family moved there for Lloyd's job at Union Carbide. The family returned to Minneapolis in 1976 where he worked at Fluidyne Engineering Corp. for five years before he moved to 3M, where he had a 20-year career. His patents were for intellectual chemical engineering processes, primarily at 3M. Outside of work, Lloyd greatly enjoyed camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and fishing for trout in southeastern Minn. He also was a lifelong singer. A highlight of his time at Westminster Presbyterian Church was his trip, with the Global Choir, to Cuba to sing and sightsee. Lloyd passed his love of music to his children, all of whom studied music and learned stringed instruments in the Suzuki method. He fondly remembered the many summers spent at the American Suzuki Institute, where the sounds of hundreds of students practicing wafted through the air across the campus at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Long car rides were usually spent listening to classical music, and Lloyd would quiz everyone to guess the composer, piece and performer of what we were hearing. He was preceded in death by his parents, Esther and Marvin "Bud" White; aunt Lucille Nacker; in-laws Ingvald and Alma Johnson; Faye Provenzano White; sister Carol Haugen; brothers-in-law John Haugen, Kenneth Johnson and Larry Piekos; and son Stuart White. Lloyd is survived by wife Carol; son Carl (Nora Wildgen) of St. Louis Park; daughter Paula (Patricia Wegner) of Berkeley, CA; daughter Erika (Glenn Sacks) of Plymouth, MN; brothers James Provenzano White (Carol) of Geneva, IL and Marvin "Corky" White (Linda) of San Carlos, CA; sister Marcy Piekos of Woodstock, IL; sisters-in-law Romelle Haugen (Lee) of Fridley, MN, and Ruth O'Keefe (Mike) of Alaska; brother-in-law James Johnson of Columbia Heights, MN; nieces Ruth Haugen Romano of Minneapolis, and Sara Haugen Young of Austin, TX; nephew Mark "Scooter" Piekos of Woodstock, IL.; and grandchildren Sara of Berkeley, Leo, Quinn, Kenny and Jordan of the Twin Cities. The last few years were a struggle for Lloyd as Carol's dementia advanced. Lloyd wore himself out managing her care. Throughout his life, he worked tirelessly and did his best to support his family. Memorial services will be at 2 p.m., Sat., July 17, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 S. Marquette Av., Mpls. Memorials preferred to the Lloyd R. and Carol M. White Memorial Scholarship, College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota, and Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Published on July 11, 2021