Arvin White

Age 77, a retired regional fiscal management officer for the U.S. Forest here in Albuquerque, NM, died May 15, 2015 of prostate cancer. Arvin was born on November 10, 1937, in Spokane, WA. His parents were Leland L. White, and Harriet Freeman White. He attended school in Sandpoint, Idaho. Arvin began his career with the U.S. Forest Service two days following his graduation from Sandpoint Senior High in Sandpoint, ID in May of 1956. He worked summers in the White Pine/Blister Rust Control program throughout his college career, and trained and worked fighting forest fires on the Kaniksu and other national forests in the area. Arvin married Patricia Palmer of Sandpoint, ID in September of 1959, and they completed college together at the University of Idaho in Moscow, ID. Arvin graduated with a degree in Business Management, Accounting in 1961. He began his professional career with the U.S. Forest Service in 1961 as a trainee on the Colville National Forest, in Washington State, was promoted to fiscal control in Missoula, Montana, sent to the Supervisor's office on the Coeur d'Alene National Forest, in Idaho, then to Missoula again as a regional industrial cost accountant, and in 1967, was selected for a budget analyst position at the National U.S. Forest Service headquarters in Washington, D.C. Arvin was promoted to the position of Regional Fiscal Agent and moved to Albuquerque, NM in April 1971. In addition to his fiscal responsibilities, Arvin supervised the law enforcement personnel in the Region for many years. He completed a course in aircraft accident investigation at the University of Southern California, Institute of Safety and System Management, and investigated and prepared many accidents reports. He assisted in developing non-governmental, private funding to enable the Region to build and fly the Smokey Bear Hot Air Balloon. Arvin is survived by wife, Patricia Palmer White, Albuquerque; son, Marcus E. White, also of Albuquerque; daughter, Stephanie Lynn White Brockman and her husband, Michael, of Longmount, CO and twin sisters, Patsy White Manning and Carol White Wallace, both of Rocky Mount, NC. He is also survived by two grandsons, Shane M. Brockman of Evans, CO, and Lucas C. Brockman of Golden, CO. Arvin retired from the U.S. Forest Service on January 3, 1994. He enjoyed travel and photography. He and his wife traveled widely in Mexico, and lived for most of six years in a primitive native structure on the beach of the remote East Cape coast of the Sea of Cortez, Baja Sur, Mexico. A private family service will be held at a later date in Colorado. Gift donations in Arvin's memory may be made to the Road Runner Food Bank, Albuquerque, NM http://www.rrfb.org/take-action/donate-food/online-food-drives.