James White

James White, passed away on January 11, 2021 after a brief illness. Married 33 years, he is survived by his best friend and love of his life, his wife, Jeanie Bailey White; children, Kevin Sokol-White, Kelli Armstrong and Jaime Lee. He is also survived by father-in-law, Burl Bailey; sister and brother-in-law, Debbie and Ronnie Thompson; Gayle, Nick, Kayleb and Ali Grace Munsch; Jimmy and Eveora Lewis; Allan Metz family; Jason and Lauren Thompson; Randy Bailey; Isabella Thompson; Kieth Blanda, and a very large number of nieces and nephews, too numerous to name. James is predeceased by parents, Henry O. White; mother, Elsie Lacy Patton; mother-in-law, Helen Bailey; brothers, Carl (Speedy), Sonny and Dewey White; nephews, Doug White and Bryan Thompson; and brother-in-law, Randy Bailey. James was born on May 8, 1942 in Gulfport, MS. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1959-1963, with an honorable discharge in 1963. He joined the Gulfport Fire Department in 1965 and rose to the rank of Fire Chief. He served under Mayors Billy Meadows, Phillip Shaw, C.L. Bullock, Buzzy Lang, Jack Barnett, Leroy Urie and Bob Short. He retired after 25 years of service in 1990, re-entered the Fire Department as Fire Chief again in 1998, retiring again in 2001. James was very active in volunteer work with various schools as a mentor. He actively read to classes when his best friend, Tyler Metz, started kindergarten, and followed Tyler through his grades, reading to his classes weekly each school year in elementary school. Tyler began James’ passion for reading at all of the schools and developing relationships with the children. James’ legacy is his love of children, the times he and his wife spent with his nieces and nephews, while raising all of the neighborhood children, their children, and so many other children that blessed him. He was affectionately referred to as the “Mayor of Bluff Lane” and gave all of his time and energy to make the lives of these children happier. They blessed him every single day. A private graveside service was held on January 14, 2021 at the Biloxi National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, it would mean the world to James to make a contribution to the children at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15th Street, Gulfport was honored to serve the White family. View and sign the online tribute at WWW.BOKFH.COM