Andrew White Sr.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Andrew B. White Sr. passed away peacefully Monday, March 6, 2017, at the age of 93.

He was born in Johnson County, Texas, to Jefferson Davis White and Margaret Parolee Graham. His father died when he was only 13 years old.

Andrew and his family struggled through the Great Depression. During and after the Depression, he took care of his mother following his father's passing.

Andrew joined the U.S. Marine Corps shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He fought in the South Pacific Theatre on Wallis Island, where his gift for linguistics formed a life-long bond with the people of Polynesia.

He earned the rank of Private 1st Class and was honorably discharged on Oct. 24, 1945, in San Francisco, Calif., where he met and married Betty Ann Johns. Andrew and Betty were married for 67 years.

He worked in corporate banking in the San Francisco Bay area for 17 years then moved his family to Kailua, Hawaii, where he and Betty founded/owned and operated The Tonga Trading Company for 25 years. The Tonga Trading Company's mission was to import Polynesian handicrafts from across the South Pacific so that the revenues generated allowed the Polynesian people to preserve their culture and improve their standard of living.

Upon retirement from The Tonga Trading Company, Andrew and Betty moved to Mountain Home, Idaho, to be near family. While in Mountain Home, Andrew founded the Snake River Detachment of the Marine Corps League and was honored as Marine of the Year in 2005.

His hobbies and interests included Dixieland Jazz. He was an avid reader and supporter of the Mountain Home Library.

He is survived by his wife, Betty Ann, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A graveside service with military honors was held March 9, 2017, at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in Boise.

Arrangements are under the direction of Bowman Funeral Parlor of Garden City. Please visit Andrew's memorial webpage online at www.bowmanfuneral.com.