Eleanor June White

December 28, 1940 - April 24, 2012

Ms. Eleanor White, age 71, and a resident of Terrace Drive in Columbia, Tennessee passed away Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at her home.

Memorial services will be celebrated at 1:00 PM on Saturday, April 28, 2012 in the chapel Heritage Funeral Home with Rev. Hubert Cunningham officiating. A visitation will be held from 11:00 AM until the service hour at 1:00 PM. Heritage Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Eleanor was born December 28, 1940 in Whitewood, Virginia, one of four daughters of John Edward and Olive Compton White. She was raised in a coal mining camp in the foothills of Virginia in nearby Grundy, but left there to follow her family to Michigan after her father passed away. As time went on she earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and Master’s Degree in English from Oakland (MI) University in 1975.

She spent several years in the 1970’s as a 7th grade English Teacher at Flushing (MI) Junior High School. She continued her career in Albany, Georgia with Delco Remy before relocating to Spring Hill, Tennessee in 1987 where she developed training programs for Saturn Corp (General Motors). In the years that followed, Eleanor relocated once again to the General Motors headquarters in Detroit and developed training programs for GM worldwide. Her experience as a Corporate Training Leader for GM allowed her to travel the world. These accomplishment were acknowledged in the Marquis Who’s Who of American Women in their 23rd Edition in 2003.

Through it all, Eleanor had a faith that transcended organized religion. She saw the beauty in all creation and appreciated those around her. Her personal notes left for her cherished family included such statements as “I am an individual expression of God and surrender my will to my higher self, knowing that my subconscious will guide me in the way I need to go.” She will be remembered as an open-minded and independent individual, with a love of literature, football, golf, politics and family gatherings.

In honoring her life she let it be known that she expected and encouraged her family and friends to celebrate and not grieve. Mere days before her journey into eternity, she penned her epitaph: “Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light. I have loved the stars too fondly, to be fearful of the night.”

She is survived by her daughter; Marcia (Ken) Buck of Antioch, TN; son: Vincent (Debra) Moody of Columbia, TN; 2 sisters: Yuvonne (Bob) Forbes of Frankenmuth, MI and Ruth White of Hummelstown, PA. She is also survived by 2 grandsons: Brandon Austin of Summertown, TN and Nick Austin of Columbia, TN; and 4 great-grandsons: Tyler, Mason, Zachery and Zander Austin.

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