Roberta Joanne White

Roberta JoAnne White, or JoAnne as most people called her, was born in 1933 as the youngest of seven children. She grew up on a farm in rural Pennsylvania. Growing up, she became close with her sister Shirley because they were near in age. As a teen, they were actively involved in the church; a pursuit that would become a crucial part of her life after her marriage, as she led a youth group and young adult Sunday school for many years. Because of the age difference between her and her oldest sister Sara, JoAnne was almost like a sister to her oldest children and helped care for the younger ones. Directly out of high school, and around the time of her father's death, she took a job at Joy Manufacturing, where she would work for more than forty years. While there, she met her future husband, Richard Earl White, when he took the time to help her fix her stapler. After dating for about seven years, they were finally married on June 22, 1957. During their first few years of marriage, they worked together to build their first home, board by board. Her home was always important to her, and it was a place where family members always felt welcomed. Family members would gather there every Sunday after church. She always made sure her guests had plenty to eat, and each child would go home with a goody bag full of candy. When their son Robert was born, she stayed home from work for two years to take care of him. Even after becoming a mother, she continued to enjoy taking care of children, and became a surrogate grandmother to many. After her son was married, she enjoyed spending time with her daughter-in-law. She was overjoyed when she finally received the news that she was going to be a grandmother. Shortly after the birth of her son's youngest child, she moved with her husband to Texas to be actively involved in her grandchildren's lives.
Roberta is survived by her husband, Richard White; Son, Robert White and his wife Christine; Grandchildren, Matthew and Hannah White; Sister, Shirley Breene and her husband Richard, and many loving nieces, nephews and friends.
A visitation will be held Wednesday, September 28, 2016 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at Allen Family Funeral Options, 2120 W Spring Creek Pkwy, St.E Plano, Texas
There will be a service to honor JoAnne, Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 1:00 PM at Chase Oaks Church in the Legacy room. JoAnne will be laid to rest at Sunset Hill Memorial Gardens in Cranberry PA.