Robert White

Robert (Bob) Eugene White, 94, passed away peacefully Wednesday, June 16, 2021, in Stillwater. He was the husband of Shirley (nee Kemerer) to whom he was married for 71 years. Born April 4, 1927 in Marietta, Ohio, he was the son of the late Forest and Bernice White. In addition to his wife, he leaves behind his daughter, Carol Hustad, and son-in-law John of Stillwater, as well as his granddaughters, Lydia Schifsky of Bozeman, Montana and Sylvie Schifsky of Minneapolis.

A native of New Concord, Ohio, Bob graduated John Glenn High School, where he earned four letters in football and was the Fighting Muskies’ leading scorer as a senior. He then graduated Muskingum University in 1950, earned a master’s degree from Kent State University in 1954, and a doctorate degree from The Ohio State University in 1962. Afterward, he became the head boys’ basketball coach at University High School in Columbus, where his teams totaled 101 victories in 131 games.

In 1964 Bob and Shirley arrived at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh to teach physical education. That same year Bob became the men’s head basketball coach. His presence at UW-Oshkosh was felt immediately, leading a men’s basketball team that posted a 9-11 record in 1964 to a 13-9 record and a fourth-place Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) finish in 1965. His team had continued success the following season by earning a 15-7 record and a second-place conference finish. Ultimately, Bob’s 232 coaching victories rank third in UW-Oshkosh and 14th in WIAC history. In addition to basketball coach and professor, Bob was the assistant men’s track & field coach in 1965, head men’s golf coach from 1988-91 and chair of the Health, Physical Education & Recreation Department from 1966-68.  Bob was named WIAC Coach of the Year three times (1967, 1968, 1978), NAIA District 14 Coach of the Year three times (1967, 1968, 1969) and was selected NAIA Area 4 Coach of the Year in 1968.

Bob  retired from teaching at UW-Oshkosh in 1994. That same year he was inducted into the NAIA District 14 Hall of Fame, and in 1997 he was inducted into the UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame.

A memorial service will be held Trinity Lutheran Church, 115 4th Street, North, Stillwater, Minnesota, on Tuesday, June 22, 2021 at 11 a.m. There will be a reception immediately afterward at Trinity.