The Life & Legacy of Tamala Tarcia White

August 29, 2000 – August 13, 2026

Tamala Tarcia White was born on August 29, 2000, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica, to Roosevelt White and Herretta Hunt. From the very beginning, Tamala brought a spirit into this world that was uniquely her own bright, playful, curious, adventurous, and full of dreams.

Tamala spent the early years of her life in Jamaica, where she attended Dennis Tobin Preparatory School. Her older sister, Ariel, fondly remembers finishing her own classes and going to pick up little Tamala from school so that the two could make their way home together. It is one of the many seemingly ordinary memories that, with time, became priceless.

She later attended Ocho Rios Primary School and Ocho Rios High School before migrating to the United States and continuing her education at Lyman High School. Tamala eventually attended Florida International University, where she proudly earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology an accomplishment that reflected both her intelligence and her determination.

Learning was simply part of who Tamala was. She was almost always studying, researching, reading about something new, or trying to understand the world around her. She was a thinker and a big dreamer, always imagining what could come next.

In February 2025, Tamala embarked upon another chapter of her life when she joined the United States Air Force, where she served until shortly before her passing. Her decision to serve reflected the independence, courage, and willingness to take chances that characterized so much of her life.

But Tamala was so much more than her education, accomplishments, or career.

Tamala loved to laugh. 

And anyone who truly knew her knew exactly what that meant. When something was really funny, Tamala didn't just laugh, her whole body would vibrate with laughter. It was infectious, genuine, and unmistakably hers.

She was adventurous and unafraid to take risks. She loved music, hotels, getting away, experiencing new things, dressing beautifully, and simply having a good time. Tamala was fashionable and had a love for heels that began long before she was old enough to own them herself. As a little girl, she would find her older sister Ariel's heels, put them on, and somehow walk in them effortlessly, like a model. Even then, there was a confidence and style about Tamala that could not be taught.

She was independent, determined, and yes—stubborn. She and Ariel had their share of sisterly disagreements and fights, as sisters sometimes do. But beneath every disagreement was a bond that could never be erased.  For much of their lives, it was Tamala, her mother, and Ariel—the three of them. There were countless experiences, conversations, disagreements, celebrations, ordinary days, laughter, and memories shared between them. That closeness became part of the fabric of their lives.

Tamala was a daughter. A sister. An aunt. A dreamer. A student of life. A woman who was still discovering who she wanted to become.

On August 13, 2026, Tamala departed this life at just 25 years old, only sixteen days before what would have been her 26th birthday.

Her life was far too short.

There were still dreams to pursue, places to visit, things to learn, milestones to celebrate, and chapters that should have been written. Yet the significance of a person's life cannot be measured solely by the number of years they were given.

Tamala was here. She was loved. And she mattered.

Her laughter existed. Her dreams existed. Her accomplishments were real. The little girl walking confidently through the house in her big sister's heels was real. The young woman researching her latest interest was real. The adventures, the stubborn moments, the sisterly fights, the laughter that made her entire body shake, and the love her family shared with her are all pieces of a life that will continue to exist in the memories of those who knew her.

Tamala leaves to cherish her memory her loving parents, Roosevelt White and Herretta Hunt; her older sister, Ariel White Williams; her younger brother, Taikwan White; her beloved niece, Elizabeth; and the family and friends whose lives will forever carry pieces of her with them.

Although our family may never understand why Tamala's time with us was so brief, we entrust her to God and hold tightly to the hope that this goodbye is not forever.

Tamala, you will remain in the stories we tell, in the laughter we remember, in photographs we hold close, and in all the little things that unexpectedly remind us of you.

You were deeply loved in this life, and you will continue to be loved beyond it.

Forever my sister.  Until we meet again.

Funeral Services will be held on Monday, September 14, 2026 at 11:00 am at DeGusipe Funeral Home & Crematory, 9001 N. Orlando Ave, Maitland, FL 32751.  The family will receive visitors and friends on Monday, September 14 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at the funeral home.

Interment will follow at Historic Lake Mary Cemetery, Lake Mary, FL.