Robert Eugene White, Jr.

Robert Eugene (Bob) White, Jr, Financial Planner

Bob White, 58, a lifelong resident of DeKalb County, died on September 23, 2007. He was a direct descendant of a family that first settled DeKalb County in1845.  He attended DeKalb County schools and received degrees from Middle Georgia College, The University of Georgia, and Georgia State University.  At UGA, he was a member of Phi Kappa Theta fraternity and met his future wife, Gayle Colquitt.  He enjoyed a long career with the State of Georgia in the Department of Archives and History, finishing there as Deputy Director. While at the Archives, he served as an officer in the Society of Georgia Archivists, and President of the Georgia Records Association.  He finished his career with the State as Budget and Capital Projects Director for Secretary of State Cathy Cox.  There, in addition to budgeting and fiscal planning for the agency, he helped coordinate and manage the major renovation of the Professional Licensing Board facility in Macon, served on the team designing and constructing the new State Archives building in Morrow, and the pre-design for a new State History Museum.  While completing his career with the Secretary of State, he earned a certificate in personal financial planning from Oglethorpe University and passed the National Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) exam before leaving the Secretary of State. After leaving the Secretary of State, he joined the firm of Key Planning and Kowalsky Tax and Financial Counseling (KTFC) as a financial planner, where he specialized in retirement and tax planning and personal budgeting. He also served as Controller for the Cathy Cox for Governor Campaign.  He was a member of the Northlake-DeKalb Kiwanis Club, Atlanta Club of Inquiry, and the Classic Glass Corvette Club. He was a member of and served on the diaconate of Rehoboth Presbyterian Church and later was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta.  He had a passion for snow skiing, sports cars and motorcycles, jogging, and statistical and financial analysis.  He participated in numerous auto shows, regional events, and the Woodward Dream Cruise.  He leaves behind a great family, a legion of wonderful friends, and a lifetime of incredible memories with his skiing buddies, friends at Rehoboth Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian Church, motorcycle riding and racing colleagues, the Lindmoor Woods poker club, fellow members of the Corvette Club, his colleagues at the state government, and KTFC. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Gayle, a veteran reporter with the AJC; daughter, Margaret White Evans; son-in-law, Matthew Evans; grandson, Candler Thomas Evans of Atlanta; and son, Robert E. (Bobby) White, III, of Baltimore, a champion swing dance and balboa instructor and competitor.  He is also survived by his mother-in-law, Ethel Colquitt; sister and brother-in-law, Susan and Dan Farnham of Ellijay, both Corvette enthusiasts; and nephew, Daniel Farnham, Jr., a Mustang enthusiast ("Where did we go wrong?"). Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, September 26, 2007, at 2:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta.  The family will receive visitors on Tuesday, September 25, 2007 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at A. S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home, 2773 North Decatur Road, Decatur, Georgia 30033, (404) 292-1551. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Melanoma Research, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Development Office, 1762 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA  30322, or First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, attn: Bob Peach, 1328 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA  30309.