Community Says Goodbye To Role Model

On Wednesday October 18th, 2006 the community gathered at The House Of Refuge Church Of God In Christ on Broadway in Newburgh to bid farewell to Michael J. White, a 25 year resident who called Newburgh his home and served his community in a multitude of functions. Michael touched many people in his positions as teacher for Alternative Cultural Education

(ACE) and counselor for McQuade Children’s Foundation, Upward Bound at Marist College, the Youth Advocacy Program (YAP), Coalition for People’s Rights (CPR), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and administrator for Glenn E. Hines Boys and Girls Club of America. Through these various positions he influenced and served as a positive role model for youth in some of the most vulnerable populations. Michael frequently talked of his experiences with children as being the most rewarding and educational of his life. He held many fond memories of the children he met and worked with.
Mr. White, as he was known more succinctly, did not just serve his community through counseling and education, but was a proud and spiritual man who was driven to create a more positive experience in the City of Newburgh by such activities as coordinating National Night Out, an event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW), which has been a successful program aimed at community involvement in drug and crime prevention. Mr. White was also a strong community activist and aware of the inequality and disadvantages of African Americans by being a member of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Committee, National Advancement for the Association of Colored People, Black History Committee, and Newburgh Democratic Party. Michael was proud to attend the 1996 Presidential Inauguration in Washington DC.

Michael will be terribly missed by his friends and colleagues, many of whom arrived on Wednesday evening to pay their respects but also by community leaders who recognized his passing has now left a void in the community as evidenced through speeches given by Mayor Nick Valentine, Roxie Royal of the NAACP, and a moving eulogy delivered by Elder Jeffrey C. Woody, Pastor who asked rhetorically “Who will take his place?” There were also condolences sent by former Mayor Audrey Carey and Congressmen Maurice Hinchey. All of the tributes to Michael centered on his dedication to the City of Newburgh and tireless efforts to create a stronger community. Here the loss of Mr.
White will be most felt.

Michael J. White was laid to rest in the Calvary Cemetery in New Windsor last Thursday morning amongst close friends and family. His life made our City a better place.

“In the deserts of the heart
Let the healing fountain start,
In the prison of his days
Teach the free man how to praise.” - WH Auden