Funeral Details

Dr. Alan Richard White

December 24, 1943 - June 15, 2024

SERVICE INFORMATION

Midtown Funeral Home
3918 West Irving Park Road
Chicago, Illinois 60618
773.654.3774
Get Directions
Sunday, June 23, 2024 from 11am until the time of the funeral service at 12 Noon

Funeral Service

Midtown Funeral Home
3918 West Irving Park Road
Chicago, Illinois 60618
Get Directions
Sunday, June 23, 2024 at 12 Noon

Interment - Private


Memorial Contributions

Dementia Society of America
www.dementiasociety.org




OBITUARY

Dr. Alan Richard White

Dr. Alan Richard White died peacefully on June 15, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. He was 80 years old. He was the beloved husband of 56 years of Victoria Ann White; loving father of Bruno John White (Banu) and Natasha Louise Edwards (Craig); dear brother of Derek John White and Marion Frances Siddall; and cherished grandad of Lara, Kenan, Hakan, Eleanor and Amelia.

Alan was born on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. Alan graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge University in the United Kingdom in 1970 with a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics. He married Vicky, who was also attending Cambridge, in 1967. The couple moved to Echenevex, France in 1975, where Alan worked as a physicist in the Theory Group at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. Following the birth of both of their children, Alan and his family made a transatlantic move to work at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. In 1982, Alan moved to Argonne National Laboratory, where he worked as a physicist until he retired. Alan and Vicky retired to the mountains outside of Asheville, North Carolina before moving back to Chicago in 2023 to be close to family. Alan was a kind-hearted, witty man who was passionate about his work and family. He also enjoyed watching English football and was a loyal fan of Southampton F.C. His children remember him as a loving father who encouraged them to pursue their dreams.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, June 23, from 11am until the time of the funeral service at 12pm at Midtown Funeral Home, 3918 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60618. The service will be available by Zoom. (Please access the link by clicking on "Livestream" at the top of the notice.)
In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated to Dementia Society of America, www.dementiasociety.org. Please sign the guest book at midtownfunerals.com/.

Arrangements by Midtown Funeral Home and Cremation Options. For more information, please call 773.654.3744 or visit www.midtownfunerals.com


GUEST BOOK

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We fondly remember Alan as a wonderful colleague with whom we had many stimulating exchange of ideas on physics. Aside from his scientific achievements, we will miss him very much as a friend and a colleague.
--On behalf of the High Energy Physics Division of The Argonne National Laboratory

Rik Yoshida, Division Director.

Rik Yoshida
June 19, 2024
We will greatly miss Alan, a friend of long-standing.

Susan & Philip Smith
June 20, 2024
It's a friendship of 50 years with Vicky and Alan including two transatlantic expeditions.
Alan was a true theorist - in our eyes one of the 'holy' ones who thinks deeply about the laws of the universe. He was a friend with a bond of football. Alan was a keen football player and a park-district football master coach. He changed the numbers on the shirts of his players between a semi-final and a final in order to confuse the opposition - is that still allowed?

We spent many enjoyable evenings with Alan and Vicky; Alan witty, incisive and, with us, relaxed and relaxing. Our families have kept in contact as the children became adults and lived all over. The last years were hard on Alan and on Vicky - Alan, may you rest in peace,



Ruth and Stephen Pordes
June 21, 2024
Alan has been a remarkable colleague, a great friend, and an extraordinary person. As a young postdoc at Argonne, I fondly remember the beautiful time we spent working together, and the kind attention and help he provided during my stay in Chicago. I learned so much from him, both on a personal level and in my scientific work.

I treasure the time I spent in the lab as one of the happiest periods of my life and scientific career, together with his estimeed Colleagues. Alan would come to watch me play soccer, guide me in getting a driver's license, and be present in any situation. At that time, he was coaching a soccer team.

Yesterday, I was shaken by the sad news of his passing, as shared by Cosmas, Geoff and George. I shared the news with several colleagues at the QCD meeting, and many of them knew Alan. There was a palpable sense of sadness during the break.
I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to Vicky, Bruno, Natasha, and the entire family for the loss of such a beloved person.

claudio coriano
June 21, 2024
We will greatly miss Alan, our wonderful Uncle! He was such a brilliant man with an incredible mind, who was ever so kind and caring & a great father and brother!
Love Emma, Andy, Matthew and Emily xxx

Emma Siddall
June 23, 2024
Vicky
I was saddened to discover the news about Alan.
I am just back from an alumni dinner at Trinity. I stayed overnight in a room quite close to Peter Goddard's old room - where if you remember he held a weekly War on Want Lunch.
Those WoW lunches were fundamental to my meeting Angela and i believe also for you and Alan. Being there brought it all back to me.
Angela died in 2020 (leukaemia) - Still, we managed 50 years of marriage two sons and five grandchildren. They all live in London so i see them regularly. This is a great consolation to me.
My very best wishes
che sera sera
Jim Brown


James Ernest Brown
July 19, 2024
I only recently learned of Alan's death, having been out of touch for many years. I was a PhD student at Cambridge at the same time as Alan, and we also overlapped at CERN. His generous offer to collaborate there probably saved my career as a theoretical physicist. Later we overlapped in California, but then went our separate ways.

My condolences to Vicky and his family.

John Cardy

John Cardy
October 27, 2024