Birth date: Jun 24, 1937 Death date: Feb 7, 2026
James Curtis “JC” White**, 88, passed away peacefully on the morning of February 7, 2026. He was born on June 24, 1937, in Uvalda, Georgia, to Curtis James and Rozie Lee Kelly White. JC spent most of his childhood in Nocatee, Flor Read Obituary
High school sleepovers at Kelly’s house were my opportunities to get to know Mr. White. Mr. White was for me, a larger than life character who always made ME feel larger than life!… At the time, I played golf- and I remember- when I would see him, he would always announce me: “Kelly Wotipka “!!!!, like I was a super star pro golfer!… with each announcement/ encouragement that he made it would help me build my confidence. I think he knew this would help me in my life, no matter where I ended up.
What a blessing to have known him!
I remember when JC brought home a beautiful brown horse with a white blaze on his face. He tried to ride him and was thrown off hard, over and over again. Every day after work, JC would come home and try again. Every day, he got bucked off.
The horse wasn’t broken—until the day he was. JC never gave up on him, and he named him Thunder. From that point on, Thunder was JC’s horse for the rest of his life. JC was the only person Thunder would allow to ride. They built a strong bond based on patience, trust, and mutual respect.
Uncle James visited us a lot when he lived in DeSoto County when my sister and I were kids….my favorite memory was he would get down in the floor and play jacks with us and we thought he was so cool. Rest in peace…..give Granny a big hug for me♥️♥️
JC — “Mr. White” to me growing up — always made me feel so welcome during my childhood sleepovers with Kelly. He used to tease me, saying, “You’re always smiling… like you’re up to something,” and then we’d both laugh.
One of my favorite memories is when he took Kelly and me camping. We slept in a tent, went canoeing, and woke up to the most delicious wild boar sausage he cooked over the campfire for breakfast.
He had a special gift for connecting with people and making them feel truly seen and valued. I also witnessed that in the unwavering support he showed his two daughters over the years. He was a remarkable person with a true zest for life, and he will be deeply missed!
Brenda & I lived in MI, we didn’t get to spend much time with JC. Generally, either Payton’s birthday or Christmas were the reason for both of us to be together, but those visits were special.
JC was an interesting person, and his down-home personality was the reason he was a good salesman. I’ll always remember his story about how he needed to find a good customer who’s business wasn’t affected by the ups and downs of the local economy. Driving by a local jail struck him as the perfect opportunity. He immediately went to the Warden’s office, but the Warden was at a horse auction that day. JC went back the next day with the perfect opening line; tell me about your horses. When he left, he had his first order and things were on the way up from then on.
My favorite personal time with JC was our breakfasts at “Twain’s” when we were both in CA. We could sit and talk with no interruptions and solved many of the world’s problems.
Attached is a picture of JC on the tram at Disneyland in April of 2011. Brenda & I, along with Kelly & Payton, spent the day and evening, with JC. He was not one for the thrill rides, so he volunteered me for that task.
Jim & Brenda Hare
