Name: John Clayton White dies after moving to Beaver Island in 1996
Start: 1998-02-21
End: 1998-02-21
Location: Beaver Island

Locator map: Beaver Island highlighted within the Beaver Island archipelago — Took place at Beaver IslandLocator plate © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0); depths NOAA; names USGS GNIS. How the plates are drawn.

Event

Date: 1998-02-21
Kind: Death
Where: Beaver Island
Eras: Modern era
Concepts: deathfamilycommunityheritagecommunication
Within: Beaver Island

Summary

John Clayton White died in Charlevoix on February 21, 1998, aged 65. The March obituary records his career, family, 1996 move to Beaver Island, funeral Mass at Holy Cross Church, burial, and memorial contributions to the Community House. Richard Gillespie’s accompanying poem documents the local friendship and grief expressed in the issue.

The April issue records the White family’s thanks for the kindness shown on Beaver Island during John’s funeral.

Evidence limits

This is a newspaper obituary and memorial notice, not a civil death record, funeral register, or independent account of the Community House donation.

Sources

Beaver Beacon, March 1998, “John Clayton White, April 11, 1932 — February 21, 1998.”
Reports White’s February 21 death in Charlevoix, February 24 funeral Mass at Holy Cross Church and burial, his paper-industry and human-resources career, 1996 move to Beaver Island, family, and memorial-contribution information for the Community House. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1998-03_Beaver-Beacon
Beaver Beacon, March 1998, held issue PDF, source scan.
The held issue scan confirms the obituary and memorial poem.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1998-03_Beaver-Beacon
Beaver Beacon, April 1998, “Thanks” from John and Nancy White’s friends and family.
Records the White family’s thanks for the kindness shown on Beaver Island during the days of John’s funeral. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1998-04_Beaver-Beacon
Beaver Beacon, April 1998, held issue PDF, source scan.
The held issue scan confirms the family funeral thanks.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1998-04_Beaver-Beacon
Beaver Beacon, May 1998, “The WHITE FAMILY THANK YOU” and “Solemn Thanks from the Preservation Association.”
Records Nancy, Mark, Kevin, Brian, Wendy, Lisa, and their families’ thanks for island hospitality, vehicles, lodging, food, and memorial gifts, and PABI’s thanks for memorial gifts naming the Association; it says John served on the PABI Board, Construction Committee, and Events & Public Relations Committee, and that Kevin White would fill his father’s board seat. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1998-05_Beaver-Beacon
Beaver Beacon, May 1998, held issue PDF, source scan.
The held issue scan confirms the White family and PABI memorial thanks.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1998-05_Beaver-Beacon

Added 5 August 2026 · revised 7 August 2026. Recent changes

Cite this article

Beaver Island Archive, “John Clayton White dies after moving to Beaver Island in 1996”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/events/beaver-island-john-clayton-white-obituary-1998/, accessed [date], citing Beaver Beacon, March 1998, “John Clayton White, April 11, 1932 — February 21, 1998.” (and 5 further sources listed on the page).

Last revised 2026-08-07. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.

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