ROBERT ALLISON WHITE, SR. Robert Allison White, 92, of Raleigh, NC, formerly of Wilmington, NC, Allendale, NJ, and Bladenboro, NC, passed peacefully in his home on Sunday, January 19th, 2020. Born March 5th, 1927 in Greensboro, NC, he was the son of the late Allison Almon White and Jewell Inman White.
Following graduation from Bladenboro High School, Robert, also known as Bob, served in WWII as a Sergeant in the U. S. Army with the 872nd Engineer Aviation Battalion in Atsugi Airport, Japan. Bob went on to graduate from Wake Forest University, then married his childhood sweetheart Mary Cecile, and began post graduate study at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Bob became a Certified Public Accountant while employed by Peat Marwick Mitchell & Company CPA’s, Charlotte, NC. His early employment included American Safety Razor Company in Staunton, VA.; Philip Morris’ Manufacturing Operations in Richmond, VA; and Philip Morris’ New York Headquarters as General Accounting Manager.
He later became Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Philip Morris International. In this capacity Bob traveled worldwide and became deeply involved in the expansion of their operations in Switzerland, Holland, Australia, England, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, Finland, Nigeria, and more. While working in New York, he and Cecile resided in Allendale, Bergen County, NJ, where he served as Chairman of the Board of Deacons at Bergen Baptist Church, one of the early Southern Baptist Churches in the Metropolitan NY area.
Bob was also instrumental in the formation of the Living Gospel Baptist Church. He was a member of the Philip Morris President’s Club and received their Silver Ring Award. He was also a member of the National Council of the National Planning Association and the
U. S. Chamber of Commerce. Furthering education was of key importance to Bob, throughout his life. He and his wife Cecile helped numerous students with educational expenses, and they funded the Cecile Ward White Scholarship at Meredith College. He was extremely proud that all twenty of his grandchildren graduated from, or are currently completing, college. He retired from Philip Morris in 1986, and returned to North Carolina, where he enjoyed lake living at White Lake, NC. Later, he moved to Wilmington, NC where he was a Board Member of Plantation Village retirement community, a member of the Surf Club at Wrightsville Beach, and regularly enjoyed horticulture and raising his beloved Shelties, Cody(s) and Rio.
In his later years, Bob moved to Raleigh, NC to be near family and became a member of Bay Leaf Baptist Church. He enjoyed keeping abreast of world news, following financial markets, making numerous outings to ‘big box’ stores, and spending treasured time with Cecile.
Memorial donations may be made to First Baptist Church Bladenboro, 500 South Main Street, Bladenboro, NC 28320, Bay Leaf Baptist Church, 12200 Bayleaf Church Rd, Raleigh, NC 27614, or The Meredith College General Fund, 3800 Hillsborough Street Raleigh, NC 27607-5298.
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