Obituary for Thomas Leonard White
Rochester, NY: Passed away peacefully at age 61 on December 1st , 2023, surrounded by loved ones, after suffering several strokes.
Tom was born in Rochester, NY on September 14th, 1962 to Robert Earl White Jr., and Cynthia Lou (Johnson) White, and was the youngest of four. After graduating from Gates Chili High School in 1980, he went on to study Photo Illustrations at RIT.
After graduating with his Associate Degree, Tom worked a multitude of jobs centered around his passion in technology and the arts. These jobs included Wink Photo, JCPenney, and Paychex, then Video Awareness where he got more involved in videography. This led him to produce the Buffalo Bills talk show alongside Hollywood Harry, leading up to the Bills’ glory days. Tom furthered his career when he started his own company, Equinox, where he did video for weddings, countless corporations, government agencies and even Rochester staples such as Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, Xerox, and many more.
Tom met his long-time spouse, Valerie, through work at Equinox and they married in May of 1998. The two went on to have two children, Spencer and Avery. Tom was a force of nature, determined to provide for his family and give them the life he felt they deserved. Tom’s family, and friends who became like family, meant more to him than anything else in the world-something he always made evident. He was endlessly proud of Spencer, Avery, and his wife, Valerie, and always went above and beyond to support and provide for them.
When Tom moved his newfound family to East Irondequoit, he took on a job as the Audio/Visual and Distance Learning Supervisor for the East Irondequoit Central School District. There he made countless life-long friends and greatly impacted the kids that walked the halls of Eastridge High School especially. Tom’s work and influence extended beyond his 22 years at the district, and his legacy will live on in the students that he inspired to follow in his footsteps.
Tom was very passionate about music and art, and could often be found at concerts or seeing a local band with his wife and friends, many of which shared this passion for live music. Anyone who knew Tom knew that he was the most loving father and husband a family could ask for, but also an incredible friend who was willing to lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on at the drop of a dime. He embodied what it meant to be young at heart, and his repertoire of wit will forever be unmatched.
Tom was predeceased by his parents, Robert and Cynthia White. He is survived by his spouse, Valerie, and their children, Spencer (Jaylin Boehl) and Avery, as well as his sister Martha Nettleton (Rob), her sons Jason Tuning (June; Aubrey, Alexis), Brian Tuning, Matthew Tuning (Amber; Autumn, Logan, Leo), his brother Randall (Laurie Miner), his children Caitlin Maendel (Jeffrey; Everly, Gavin), Ryan (Autumn Saucedo), Madeline (Dhruv Nandakumar), and his sister Sarah Okerlund (David; Johanna, Luke).
There will be visitation at the Transfiguration Lutheran Church (3760 Culver Road Rochester, NY 14622) on Friday (12/15/23) from 4-7pm. Additional visitation will be at the Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word (597 East Avenue Rochester, NY 14607) on Saturday (12/16/23) from 10am-11:45pm. The service will be held at 12pm noon on Saturday at Incarnate Word, with a reception to follow. Per his request, Tom was cremated and his internment will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Eastridge Parents for Music, an organization Tom worked alongside for decades that provides funding for art and music programs in the East Irondequoit school district.
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Previous Events
Visitation
Friday
15
Dec
4:00 PM
- 7:00 PM
Transfiguration Lutheran Church
3760 Culver Road
Rochester, NY 14622
Visitation
Saturday
16
Dec
10:00 AM
- 11:45 AM
Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word
597 East Ave
Rochester, NY 14607
Service
Saturday
16
Dec
12:00 PM
- 1:00 PM
Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word
597 East Ave
Rochester, NY 14607
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