Clarence Albert White, Sr.

CLARENCE ALBERT WHITE SR. was born in Palmyra, North Carolina, on January 3, 1934, to the late Ernestine White and Walter Edmond Sr. He made his transition to the Lord peacefully on a Saturday afternoon, January 20, 2024, with family by his side. Early on in his life, Clarence’s family moved to nearby Scotland Neck, North Carolina where he grew up working odd jobs to help support his family. At a young age, Clarence was known around town for his work ethic and ended up working at the Scotland Neck Commonwealth Newspaper where he eventually earned a printing apprenticeship (Stereotype Operator). Stereotyping was hard, hot, dangerous work, involving making molds that were filled with hot lead to make the plates needed for the press to print the newspaper pages, but Clarence learned quickly and excelled at his craft. During his younger years, he met Annie Evelyn Macklin whom he courted for some time before marrying her in 1955. From this union, their oldest son Clarence Albert White Jr. (affectionately known as Lil Clarence) was born, and after Annie’s graduation from college the family moved to Hampton, Virginia where he landed a position as a Journeyman Stereotype Operator at the Norfolk Journal & Guide Newspaper and Annie taught for the City of Hampton public schools. By 1960, Clarence was fully trained in stereotype operations and decided to make a change in order to take better care of his family. He received a job offer from the Afro-American Newspaper. The “Afro” was one of the best black owned newspapers in the United States and getting hired there was not easy, typically 1 in 20 applicants were hired. So, Clarence accepted the offer and the young family moved to Baltimore, Maryland where they welcomed their second son, Carl Anthony White. Clarence thrived at the Afro, working for many years as a Stereotype Operator, then moving into the circulation department and then office security. Clarence eventually retired from the newspaper after 50 years of dedicated service in 2010. During his time at the Afro, Clarence developed many lifelong friendships and was known for his strong work ethic, great attitude, and dependability. In retirement, Clarence enjoyed spending time with his friends at the Zeta Senior Center and working on restoring his 1968 Volkswagen. Clarence was a loving and devoted family man and friend who always had a kind and supportive word to say. He is preceded in death by his mother, Ernestine White; his father, Walter Edmond Sr.; and two of his sisters, Dorothy Lewis, and McCilla Brown White. He is survived by: two sons, Clarence Albert White Jr. of Baltimore, and Carl Anthony White of Bowie; one daughter-in-law, The Honorable Yvette R. White; three grandchildren, Dominique White, Jacob White and Jared White; one brother, Ernest G. White of Scotland Neck, NC; two sisters, Vina Spruell of Monroe Township, NJ and Patricia Miller of Scotland Neck; one brother-in-law, Johnny Spruell; and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.

Tributes

Clarence Albert White, Sr.

January 3, 1934 - January 20, 2024