Obituary - 8082

 

8082 Les White

  

Died: 05 February, 2004 (Cancer)

WHITE, Col. (Retired) Leslie "Les" OMM, CD Peacefully, passed into the presence of his Heavenly Father, Thursday, February 5, 2004, at age 57. Beloved husband of Barbara (nee Truscott). Loving father of Kevin (Amy) and Michael (Krissy). Adoring Grampa of Antere and Solomon. Dear son of Freda and the late Leon White (1997). Grandson of Daisy White. Dear brother of Carol (Paul Robinson) and Donald (Nancy). Also loved brother-in-law of Brenda and Gordon Jackson. Les will be fondly remembered by dearly loved nieces and nephews, family and friends. Through a rewarding career spanning 35 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and more recently as the executive director of the Military Christian Fellowship (MCF), Les served his Lord faithfully with honour and integrity. Friends may pay respects at the Kelly Funeral Home, 3000 Woodroffe Avenue (Barrhaven), Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral Service Monday to Woodvale Pentecostal Church at 1 p.m. Interment Capital Memorial Gardens. In Memoriam donations to the Canadian Cancer Society or to the Military Christian Fellowship of Canada appreciated.

Les White’s Life

by Paul Robinson

COLONEL LESLIE ALLAN WHITE, OMM, CD

“A Life Well-Lived”

 

Leslie Allan White entered the world on Tuesday, February 4^th, 1947 in Hamilton, Ontario. He completed all of his schooling there before heading off to RMC in September 1965 to pursue a degree in French and, of course, a commission as an army officer.

 

While at the college, Les distinguished himself in a variety of ways – as a studious cadet, as a crack shot on the pistol team, and as a respected Cadet Officer, serving as my D/CSL in his grad year.

 

Les also taught Sunday School each week in the College Chapel, and gave direction to the RMC chapter of what was then known as the Officers’ Christian Union (OCU).

 

It was also in Kingston, on a blind date during his second year, that Les met a certain school teacher-to-be named Barb (Truscott). Though both had vowed never to go on a blind date, Barb said that it really was love at first sight! 

 

They were married shortly after Les’ graduation in 1969.

 

So it was that armed with a degree in Honours French and trained as a logistician, and with Barb by his side, Les proceeded to his first posting as Transport Officer at CFB Kingston. Les and Barb’s son, Kevin, was born there.

 

Next was Valcartier, serving with 5e Groupement de Combat, and from there a six-month peacekeeping tour with UNDOF in Cairo in 1973. Son number two, Mike, arrived during that tour. The message notifying Les of Mike’s birth on Dec 31^st that year carried the heading, “SUBJECT: TAX EXEMPTION”!

 

Subsequent postings saw him in DLogOps in Ottawa, then in Oslo, where he distinguished himself with high honours at the NATO Staff College. Though the handful of non-Norwegians attending were permitted to submit their papers in English, Les even wrote his in Norwegian, confounding the staff who had one too many Norwegian papers than expected!

 

After his return to Ottawa, Les was appointed military attaché to Norway, and returned to serve in the country he and his family grew to love immensely. One of his most memorable experiences there was overseeing the recovery of a WW2 aircraft that had been submerged in a fjord for some 50 years.

 

After returning to DLogOps, Les retired from the CF as a colonel in 2000. In July that year, Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson made him an Officer in the Order of Military Merit.

A thoroughly professional and dedicated officer, throughout his fulfilling and distinguished service in the CF, Les was one who lived his life for God - with unwavering faith.

 

A man of deep personal conviction, he was known as an incredibly sincere, devout, compassionate, and honourable man of great integrity who sincerely wanted to help others – both in the military community and beyond – come to know the Lord he loved so much.

 

Anyone who met Les knew that for all the satisfaction the military afforded him, his ultimate confidence was in Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. Any summary of his life would be incomplete without acknowledging that!

 

Thus, retirement from the military did not mean a retirement from “active service” for the One he had served so faithfully while in uniform.  Although he loved to escape to their cottage in the Gatineaus, Les accepted a non-paying position as Executive Director of the Military Christian Fellowship. As such, he continued to be actively and intimately involved in military matters, cooperating extensively with the Chaplains’ Branch in a variety of endeavours, including the arranging of “Rapid Deployment Kits” (spiritual support materials) which were provided to all troops on rotation to Afghanistan and to Bosnia.

 

One of his favourite Scriptures is found in Paul’s letter to the Philippians. It sums up Les’ purpose for living.

 

In that letter, the apostle says, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord….”

A few verses further on, He says that, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

So it was that having pressed forward to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him, and straining toward what is ahead, Les White received the crown of life when he passed from this life suddenly on February 5^th, 2004, one day after his 57^th birthday.

 

Having finished his assignment on earth, Les White, accomplished military officer and respected soldier for Christ, entered into the presence of His Lord and master, there no doubt to hear His Saviour say, “well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord.”

 

Les will forever be missed by many whose lives will never be the same because of the life he lived in service to his country and his God.

H8457 Paul Robinson

Paving Stone by the RMC Memorial Arch at the Entrance to RMC