ELAINE J. (BEACH) WHITE

September 11, 1921 - December 30, 2016

Elaine June Johnson Beach White was born to Fred B. and Opal Mae Cecil Johnson, September 11, l921, in Watertown, South Dakota. It was a difficult birth as she weighed just under ten pounds and took three days to arrive! She quickly became a favorite of the whole family and was nick-named "Wah-dow" by her childless aunts as they bought her whatever she pointed to and said, "want it down"! She and her brother, Benjamin Charles "Ben" Johnson -- 3 years younger -- did not much feel the sting of hard times or The Great Depression as their father was solidly-employed by the Standard Oil Co. They had fond memories of family togetherness, playing with friends, their dog "Pepper", wonderful food, and school. As a child she: got her tongue stuck on the flagpole, swallowed a fuzzy yellow caterpillar while hanging from her knees on a tree limb, ate so many figs in a tree in California she was sick for days, got covered with leeches in a Minnesota lake, and beat-up kids if they hurt an animal or her baby brother!

They moved to Rapid City, South Dakota, in the Black Hills in about l934, and were able to witness some of the carving of Mt. Rushmore! Elaine had become a vegetarian at age 8 as she so loved animals. She finally relented and ate meat as a teenager, being kidded about her "pickle burgers"; she later became vegetarian again from ages 65 to 95, saying she did not "eat dead animals"! As a teenager, she and some friends even climbed the fence and let all of the animals go at the dog pound (they did not get caught)! She was a singer, a great speaker, an actress, a wonderful dancer, a joke-teller, and true to her word. A good student, Elaine graduated cum laude from Rapid City High School in 1939, went on to business college, and became a legal secretary with expertise in shorthand, typing, and organizational skills. Elaine was quite beautiful with long Swedish Viking Queen arms and legs, blondish hair and blue-grey eyes. She was ready to try new things, and being active and athletic served her well for tree-climbing, long-distance swimming in lakes, leg-wrestling, and even climbing the 7,000+ feet of Harney Peak (now Black Elk Peak) at midnight to watch the sun come up!

Elaine married Marvin D. Beach on November 25, 1941 (12 days before Pearl Harbor), and they worked for the War Department in Washington, D.C. until Marvin became a B-17 pilot and had to go to the war in Europe. Before he left, he was able to know his little baby boy, David Marvin Beach, born August 2, 1943. After the war, their daughter, Julie Elaine Beach, was born on June 22, 1947.

After years of raising a family and running a business, Elaine and her first husband divorced in l962. After some time, Elaine married Robert M. "Bob" White, and they both worked for the Boeing Co. in various locations until they retired in l985 and moved to Florida.

Elaine was dynamic, fun-loving, confident, and made people happy wherever she went. She was extremely capable on the job, working as executive assistant for big bosses. She had a perfect driving record for 80 years -- no ticket or accident -- and, in retirement, she drove any car or truck through the line at the auto auction, wearing a cute hat and flirting with the dealers! As a mother and grandmother, she was protective, positive, involved, caring, and loving. She is survived by her brother and his wife - Ben and Lynne Haley Johnson, nephew - Eric Johnson, niece - Sybil Johnson; two children - David Beach (Tanya) and Julie Beach-Mascia (Nick); five grandchildren - David Baxley (Jennene), Nissa Hopkins (Nalin), Stephanie Huss (Steve), Tracy Power (Randy), Wendy Feigenbaum (Bryan); ten great-grandchildren - David, Jacob and Sarah Huss, Kassidy Graber, Vivi, Jake, and Ginger Lily Feigenbaum, Liam Hopkins, Kara and Natalie Baxley. Other survivors are step-children William T. "Bill" (Kelly) White, Barbara White Carey, Patty White Smith, and step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren in America, Russia and Peru! She also has two cousins and their families, Dale (Kay) Mikkelson, and Leone (Stan) Zimmerman.

Elaine always put a smile on people's faces. She saved HUNDREDS of critters' lives doing animal rescue, and also saved the life of a homeless veteran, getting him to the veterans' hospital with plans to help him when he was better. He was lying on the ground by a grocery store where people stepped over him as he lay dying! She got him food, blankets, and a big stuffed bunny as a pillow while she called in reinforcements to aid and drive him to Tampa! She would stop traffic until a turtle either crossed the road safely or was lifted into her car to take to UCF or a veterinarian for repair. She would check for live babies in a dead mother raccoon's pouch. She would drag dead animals off the roadway to give them a "proper" burial, apologizing for their rude demise and "sending them to Heaven".

In lieu of flowers or as a gesture of remembrance and honor, donations may be made in her name (Elaine J. White) for animals needing funds for special care to: Underhill Animal Hospital, 4900 Lake Underhill Dr., Orlando, FL 32807.