William Lee White, Jr. was born July 30, 1927 in Memphis, "Willie" aka "Whizzer" White was an avid bowler having bowled almost his entire life. He was a Pro Tour Bowler and also in the Midwest Bowlers Association, traveling the country and winning many trophies. He bowled at Imperial Lanes on Summer Avenue from the time it opened in 1958 until the day it closed in 2009. Up until he broke his hip in February, he was bowling at Billy Hardwick''s All Star Lanes on White Station several times a week. Willie got a 298 ring on September 6, 1968, but it wasn''t until April 2, 1999, that he got a 300 ring. When I asked him why he had waited so long to bowl a 300, he said simply, "It was a little different game back in those days." Later I pressed him for more detail and he said that the reactive bowling balls of today were much better than what he had when he was younger. Willie was a WWII Army Veteran, having been stationed in Munich, Germany and while there he witnessed some of the Nuremberg trials. Upon his return, he worked for Herff Ford in 1949 until 1958 starting as a drive out boy and working his way up to dispatcher. From 1958 he worked for Southern Motors until it was sold to Madison Cadillac in 1990. He retired from Massey in 1993 as a dispatcher. Willie beat colon cancer in 2009. In February, after a fall and later hip replacement (followed by months of physical therapy) he was recovering quite well, his doctor even clearing him to bowl again, but he did not get to. Saturday evening Willie had slight chest pain and was taken to St. Francis Hospital. I sat with him that night and into Sunday morning talking about many things; I didn''t know it was the last time I would speak with him. He said he felt fine, but then again he didn''t complain much about anything. Sunday he was doing better and surgery was put on hold. Monday evening he had a second heart attack from which the doctors were unable to revive him. Willie has no surviving relatives, but many many surviving friends. Father, William Lee White, Sr. B:8-30-1888, D: 1-18-1974. Mother, Clara Isabel Brass B:9-28-1890, D:6-19-1957. Sister, Wilma Clara White-Minor B:8-5-1916, D: 10-3-1984. Willie will be laid to rest at Memorial Park Cemetery. Services will be held at Forest Hill East Funeral Home on Saturday, July 2, 2016 at 10 a.m. with visitation beginning at 9 a.m.
Forest Hill Funeral Home & Memorial Park, East
901-382-1000