Vern O. White, 73, died in his hometown Owatonna on October 9, 2010 at the Homestead Hospice House with his beloved wife of 51 years, Patsy, at his side. He was born April 18, 1937 in Owatonna, the son of Owatonna entrepreneurs Wayne Merlin and Mabel Katherine (Wadsworth) White. Vern graduated from Owatonna High School in 1955. In his junior year of high school, he met a pretty girl (his words) named Patricia Hudrlik and thus began a lifelong love affair. Vern enlisted in the army in 1955 where he received helicopter training and accumulated over 1200 hours of flight time as crew chief. He completed his tour of duty in 1958 and married Patsy in 1959. Vern graduated from St. Louis University in 1961 with a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering. In 1964, Vern joined the Owatonna Jaycees, and was President of the club in 1967. That year the chapter won the Henry Giessenbier Trophy as the top chapter in Minnesota. In 1971, Vern ran and won the position of State President of the Minnesota Jaycees after an electrifying 'White Lighting' campaign. In 1981, Vern received a Master Degree of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota. He went on to teach graduate courses at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota and the Masters Program at the Gainey Center in Owatonna. Vern''s 40 plus years of experience in marketing span a diverse collection of industries, including aerospace, education, energy, entertainment, environmental, industrial, instrumentation, performing arts, consulting, and printing. In addition to positions held at various companies including Wenger Corporation in Owatonna, Vern and Patsy owned two businesses, and Vern was on the board of directors for several community organizations and businesses in Owatonna including the Owatonna Art Center, Owatonna Homestead Hospice, Learning Zones, and Concepts and Designs, Inc. He was also co-founder of the Owatonna Business Incubator and an executive member of the Owatonna Foundation. In 2009, Vern was honored to receive the Paul Harris Award from Betsy Lindgren on behalf of the Owatonna Rotary Club for 'Service Above Self'. Vern''s legacy to the community of Owatonna included involvement in several 'bricks and mortar' projects including Jaycee Park, the Owatonna Arts Center, the Central Park Bandshell, and the Aquatic Center. He considered his contributions a part of a team effort, and had great respect and appreciation for the people he worked with. Vern enjoyed many hobbies including collecting coins, stamps, and fishing lures, fishing at their lake home on Big Sandy Lake, playing Texas Hold''em with his grandchildren, and writing books on various business and historical topics, including The Legend History of Mineral Springs Park. Vern loved his family dearly. He is survived by his wife Patsy, of Owatonna, daughter Susan (and Thomas) Peterson of Lakeville, MN, son Michael White, of Medford, MN, daughter Lisa White (and Calvin) Ebeling, of Owatonna, son Timothy White, of Owatonna, grandchildren Aaron, Jeremy, Matthew, TJ, Jonathan, Rachel, Jesse, Luke, and Laura; and great grandchild Valerie. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Rita Gorman. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1pm on Friday, October 15th at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Peter Klein officiating. A Celebration of Life Reception will follow at Michaelson Funeral Home from 2pm to 5pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials gifts are preferred to Homestead Hospice House, Owatonna Foundation, or donor''s choice. Visitation: 10/15/2010 14:00 10/15/2010 17:00 Service: Celebration Reception following Mass 10/15/2010 13:00