Obituary

A.T. "Lonnie White

TUPELO - Alonzo Thomas "Lonnie White, 79, died March 2, 2007, at his home in Tupelo after an extended illness. He was born November 15, 1927, in Purvis, MS., to Agnes Estella Boone and Johnnie Thomas White. He had lived in the Tupelo area for 43 years. He and his father founded and operated White Construction Company in 1956, building homes, churches, and schools across southern Mississippi. As a leader in the corrugated box industry, he and his long-time friend and business partner, Joe Gary, established a local corrugated box manufacturing company, Great Southern Box Company, which today is Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation. He served as General Manager until he retired in 1993. In 1973 he founded General Packaging Specialties, Inc., which today serves customers throughout Northeast Mississippi and the Southeast US.

He is a graduate of Oak Grove High School, near Hattiesburg, MS and attended the University of Southern Mississippi. He served in the U.S. Navy as an SB2C Radioman.
He was a faithful member of Calvary Baptist Church in Tupelo since 1964, where he served as a Sunday School teacher, deacon, deacon chairman, and was named as a Deacon Emeritus in 2005. He served on the Rebuilding Committee following the destruction of the sanctuary by fire in 1992. He coached a number of Tupelo boys in baseball, basketball, and football in addition to providing a Christian example for them to live by.

He loved the outdoors, having a passion for the land and nature. He spent many hours pruning his beloved pine trees, and working on his farm with his dear friend Lowell Walker Sr. He enjoyed traveling with friends, and spending time with grandchildren and family. He also did extensive research into his familys history and genealogy.

Services will be held at 2:00 pm Sunday, March 4 at Calvary Baptist Church in Tupelo, with Dr. Bryant Barnes, Reverend Shannon Johnston, and Brother Lowell Walker officiating. Burial will be at Lee Memorial Park. Visitation will be held from 5 - 8 pm on Saturday, March 3 , at W. E. Pegues Funeral Home in Tupelo.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Louise Welsh White, who he married on April 8, 1950; one son, Steve White, and wife Ellen of Tupelo; four daughters, Mary Lou Parks, Ellen Caldwell, and husband Lee, Susan Thompson, and husband Mike, and Laura McCullough, and husband Glenn, all of Tupelo; twelve grandchildren, John Thomas White of Memphis, TN, David Stephen White, Benjamin Lamar White, Leon C. Parks, III, Jeffrey Lee Caldwell, Amy Caldwell Murphree, and husband Jim, Kevin Thomas Caldwell, Kathryn Elizabeth Thompson, Lindsey Ellen Thompson, Emily Louise Thompson, Vance Hudson McCullough, Glenn Thomas McCullough, and one great-granddaughter, Emma Spight Murphree all of Tupelo. He is also survived by one sister, Erlene White Weldon of Hattiesburg, MS, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. His loving caregivers were Barbara Miles, Melissa Jolley, Teresa Miles, Jeremy Jolley, and Debral Godfrey.

His grandsons are honored to be pallbearers for their "Grandpa. Honorary pallbearers will be members of his Calvary Baptist Senior Adult Sunday School class.

He is preceded in death by his parents, one brother, J.T., and two sisters, Edith Faye White and Nettie Lou Ward.

Memorials may be made to Calvary Baptist Church Property Purchase Fund, PO Box 1008, Tupelo, MS 38802, French Camp Academy, One Fine Place, French Camp, MS 39745, or Midway Baptist Church, 62 Midway Church Rd., Sumrall, MS 39482.