By March Funeral Homes
Clarence Albert White Sr. was born in Palmyra, N.C., on Jan. 3, 1934 to the late Ernestine White and Walter Edmond Sr. He made his transition to the Lord peacefully on a Saturday afternoon, Jan. 20, 2024, with family by his side.
Early on in his life, White’s family moved to nearby Scotland Neck, N.C. where he grew up working odd jobs to help support his family. At a young age, White 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 as a 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 White 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. After Macklin’s graduation from college the family moved to Hampton, Va. There, White landed a position as a journeyman stereotype operator at the Norfolk Journal and Guide Newspaper while Macklin taught for the City of Hampton’s public schools.
By 1960, White 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 Newspapers. The AFRO was one of the best Black owned newspapers in the United States and getting hired there was not easy, as typically one in 20 applicants were hired. So, White accepted the offer and the young family moved to Baltimore, where they welcomed their second son, Carl Anthony White.
White thrived at the AFRO, working for many years as a stereotype operator before moving into the circulation department and finally, the office security. White eventually retired from the newspaper after 50 years of dedicated service in 2010. During his time at the AFRO, White developed many lifelong friendships and was known for his strong work ethic, great attitude and dependability. In retirement, White enjoyed spending time with his friends at the Zeta Senior Center and working on restoring his 1968 Volkswagen.
White was a loving and devoted family man and friend who always had a kind and supportive word to say.
Funeral services were held for White by March Funeral Homes on Feb. 5 in the 4300 block of Wabash Avenue. Bishop Alonzo Jones officiated the service with a word from Psalm 23. Family members and a caretaker spoke about the life and legacy of White, in addition to former AFRO Publisher John J. Oliver Jr. and current AFRO Publisher and CEO Frances “Toni” Draper.
After the ceremony, White was laid to rest at King Memorial Park in the 8100 block of Dogwood Road. 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, N.C.; two sisters, Vina Spruell of Monroe Township, N.J. and Patricia Miller of Scotland Neck, N.C.; one brother-in-law, Johnny Spruell; and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.
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