September 19, 1946 – June 14, 2025
Charles Wiley White, known as “Charlie” to friends and “Bud” to his beloved family, passed away suddenly on June 14, 2025, at Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Roanoke.
Born on September 19, 1946, in Emboden, Va., Charlie lived a life of love, ingenuity, and connection. He was 78.
Raised in Big Stone Gap, Va., Charlie graduated from Powell Valley High School in 1965. He served in the U.S. Army as an SP5 Communication Center Specialist in Korat, Thailand, during the Vietnam War and later settled in Fincastle, Va. Charlie retired as Safety Director from Roanoke Cement in 2003 after more than 30 years of service. A master tinkerer, Charlie spent hours in his garage tuning engines, restoring cars, and fixing motorcycles, including a 1946 Pontiac Silver Streak and a 1959 Edsel Corsair. Relatives frequently joked about his two-minute daily calls; however, if you were working through a problem, he would tirelessly listen and provide creative solutions.
Charlie’s heart belonged to his family and beloved family dogs. Married to Jackie Campbell White, the love of his life, for 37 years until her passing, he raised his children, Charles Derrick White (Southlake, Texas) and Jennifer Amee White (Kernersville, N.C.), with devotion. He adored his grandson, Aidan Akito White, 17, cherishing moments driving him on his 1946 John Deere MT. To friends, Charlie was a loyal confidant and a wizard with a wrench.
Charlie was predeceased by his wife, Jackie Campbell White; mother, Hassie Craft White; and father, Wiley Orville White. He is survived by his son, Charles Derrick White, and daughter-in-law, Chizu Kunii White; daughter, Jennifer Amee White; grandson, Aidan Akito White; sister, Nila White Jones, and her husband, Harry Jones (Crossville, Tenn.); brother, Robert Wayne White, and his wife, Melanie White (Big Stone Gap); and spouse, Rosanna “Bo” Nichols White.
A funeral service will be held on Sunday, June 29, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Trinity Cemetery, 5016 Roanoke Road, Troutville, followed by a reception at the VFW Post at the same location. Honor Charlie by fixing something with care, taking a country drive, or petting a dog. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the American Cancer Society.
