Percy,
I am shocked and grief stricken by just now learning that you have transitioned. You were such a phenomenal history scholar and a dear friend to me. I will forever miss our conversations. I will always remember Alabama and “Mind Playin’ Tricks.”  You will forever remain in my heart and mind. May your light shine throughout eternity. 

Love,
“Doc”

I had just gotten out of the USMC after a 5 year stint. Being a basketball fan and coming to Western Kentucky University in 1981, I got to see Percy as the team's basketball star. He was a ferocious rebounder and great scorer. Later, I had some classes with Percy. I got to know him as a classmate in Dr. Montell's folklore class. Percy was a diligent student. There was no loafing in that young man's life. Percy was such a nice guy. I doubt that I have known too many people in my life that smiled so much. He should have lived longer.  The world was a better place with him.

Just sent you a text to wish you a belated happy birthday and when I didn’t get an immediate response.  I went to Facebook to see you hadn’t posted….but I knew still…the absence of your essence on this plane had been tapping me on the shoulder for months.  Now that you are in the eternal,  find Jasper and take him on a run, hug and kiss him for me and fret not.  After he swims with the ducks he will return, as he’s done before.  I will never forget all that we shared and I will never get over not reaching our sooner for lunch.  Thank you for everything.

My condolences go out to Percy's immediate family. He was a true Stag through and through. Your soul is at rest now. R.I.P. big fellow.

Rod Johnson DeMatha Stag 1978

My condolences go out to his immediate family and friends for there loss. 


With the recent passing of a longtime Guest Speaker for ACHS' Black History Month Blackbox Lecture Series, Mr. Percy White, the Black History Month Committee decided that it was fitting to officially name Keynote Speakers who come to our school, "The Percy White Keynote Speaker."

Alexandria City High School
Leslie A.  Jones

Percy, I am thankful for being your friend and former work colleague. We worked together for over twenty years; different agencies but same kids and families. I will miss the smile on your face and the big bear hugs you gave me whenever we saw each other. I use to laugh because you had to bend so far down  to hug, but you did. You added so much to the Court Service unit and the City of Alexandria. I said "see ya later" at your Memorial Service. Good friend, you are missed. ❤

So happy to be able to share via livestream in the service today celebrating Percy's life.  I will miss seeing Percy and his radiant smile in Alexandria.  He contributed so much to young people in our community, to our Equity initiative, and to truth-telling about our shared history. 
Wishing your family peace, love and happy memories.


I had the pleasure of working with Percy while working in Juvenile Court.  I will always remember our small talks, his wisdom and bright smile.  Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.  My condolences and prayers go out to your family and friends. Rest well, Percy. 🤍
 

Percy was the kindest and most professional person I have worked with in Alexandria.  He was always prepared.  And his knowledge of history was unmatched.   I will miss his calls in the mornings to make sure he was doing his paperwork right.   My sincere condolences to his family and to all who were privileged to know him!  Rest well Percy!

Although I did not have the pleasure of knowing or working with Percy for a long time in the time that I did have he left quite an impression on me.  He was a gentle giant with wisdom beyond his years.  Rest in peace Percy.  You fought the good fight!! 

To  The Family Of Percy White I send for sincere condolence.  Percy was an awesome person we spent time together at Western Kentucky. He will surely be missed with that contagious smile.  RIP in peace my friend.

Respectfully submitted by William (Billy) Bryant #11

The news of your death has left me devastated. You have been a part of my professional life  for eleven years. Our friendship grew unexpectedly. When we spoke in December, we reminisced about our children (mutual clients that had positive outcomes under your guidance). We laughed about everything and nothing. We promised to make time to get together after the holidays. You accused me, as always of being too busy for a friend…My thoughts continue to go in reverse when I wish for one more moment. But, today I am thankful for your professional guidance and the gift of your friendship. The Alexandria Court Service Unit will never feel the same without you. You’re bigger than life persona, spirit of community and love for your family, connected us. Death is inevitable for all, so I am choosing to celebrate your life. I miss you my friend. Love you forever, Mavis 

My condolences 💔
I will be in attention 

I had the pleasure of working with Percy through partnerships between Court Services and ACPS.  I will always remember our talks, laughs and fun times supporting the youth of Alexandria. Your impact on the adults and youth of Alexandria will be felt for years to come.  We were blessed to have you in our lives and we thank you for being such a wonderful person, mentor and friend.  My condolences and prayers go out to your family and friends.  Rest well, Percy, your work here is done. 

To all who knew and loved Percy, 

Percy's colleagues in Alexandria created a digital memorial board to share with his friends and family. It is but a glimpse of the important legacy that began 27 years ago. This has been a profound loss to our community and we will miss him very much.  Please accept this memorial board (https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/cOf8hpkq#view) as a token of our love and appreciation for our dear friend and colleague,. We're sending his loved ones lots of love and light.

It has been many years since I have seen Percy, but my memory of him seems as strong today as when he would appear in court or I would stop to talk with him in the Court Service Unit. What a wonderful and caring person he was then, and, from the memories that people have shared, that he remained. 

He was always prepared for court and had the right recommendation for the children with whom he worked and counseled. He was part of the best group of people that I can imagine working with and for Alexandria's children. His gifts to them through his caring cannot be measured.

Judge Stephen Rideout (ret.) 

Our prayers and deepest sympathy to Percy's family.  For 18 1/2 years Percy has been a kind, gentle and quiet neighbor to us.  He never failed to smile and wave and on occasions chat & share a laugh

Please do know that the cul-de-sac misses you.

Rest is Peace Neighbor




Percy, you have  always  been one of my favorite co-workers and friends in the city.  I was blessed to have worked with you for over a decade. Your kindness, patience, and consideration of others were apparent in everything you did. Kids loved you! One  of my fondest memories is of the 1st grader you mentored at Ramsay. You made such an impact on his little life. And my own kids, after only meeting you once, also loved you. For years after I left the CSU they asked if we could go back to visit Mr. Percy. How I wish I could visit you now! You are a treasure and will be missed by all and your impact on so many lives will carry on. ❤️

My condolences to Percy's family. I met Percy when he moved into the culdesac. He was just as kind as he was quiet. He will definitely be missed on the street. Rest in peace Percy.

Sharpe and Singleton family

My sincere condolences to the family and friends of Percy, a beloved colleague to me in the Alexandria community ~ May his memory be a blessing to all of us 💞

Percy, 

Thank you for your endless kindness and advice. You were always so willing and ready to jump in and help whenever I needed it. I will never forget our last conversation together and I will cherish it always. I am grateful for all I learned from you and your memory will always be a blessing. You will be very missed. Rest.


Beloved Family of Percy White,

My sincere condolences go out to you all. Percy was a kind, gentle soul that touched the heart of everyone he met. I had the pleasure of taking some trainings with him. He definitely made impact just by being in our midst. He truly was a genuine child of God!

May the Lord uphold and keep you all strong. Hold on to the precious memories you have. Be comforted by knowing you will see him again on that Day.

With much love and sympathy,

LaTanya Chinagorom

Percy, you lived such a positive life and you helped so many people. I will miss you. Every time we spoke, I learned from you and you always made me laugh. I will always remember hearing your voice on NPR Story Corps one day out of the blue. I knew in an instant it was you because your voice was unmistakable—warm, energetic, and full of the curiosity that propelled you through a life well lived. Rest in peace.

Percy,  you are and will remain a presence in the hearts and minds of everyone that knew you. It was such a privilege to call you my colleague and my friend. I will always cherish our many conversations  about history, travel and film. Your kind spirit, thoughtfulness and pursuit of knowledge were unique in today’s world. You left us all way too early and I truly miss you, my friend. 

Percy was one of a kind. He was a gentle giant loved by all who worked with him in any capacity. As he explored his roots, he shared so much knowledge and history with me and I know others.  I will always cherish his kindness and laughter. Prayers to comfort his family during this difficult time.



Percy and I met each other while working on the Alexandria Boys and Girls Camp that allowed City of Alexandria employees the opportunity to engage with young people who were identified as needing mentoring and early intervention.  We found out that we had a lot more in common.   Not only did we lived within miles of each other, we were apart of the Archidoces Catholic Schools: he at De Matha and myself at La Reine.  We talked about the rivalaries and friendships made across schools. What I will remember the most beyond that infection smile and his kindness is that cared for young people.  The service he gave and the stance he took to advocated for young people and equity in services in resources for all youths is a testominy about his character.



This is not easy writing about my dear, sweet friend and confidant, P'Ell, who I loved. He had a way of comforting others and I hope this and the many other memories of him brings you comfort. I feel numb and will miss our conversations about life, family, world events and of course history. His countdown to retirement and what we were going to do when we retired were major topics. I will also miss his sarcasm, sense of humor and his unique skill of coming up with popular songs triggered by words during our conversation. I will never forget our time in New Orleans, my hometown.  Until we meet again.

My heart goes out to Percy's family at this difficult time. I was blessed to have met Percy in 1976 when we both transferred to DeMatha High School. We were friends and basketball teammates for two years, playing and practicing together constantly, travelling across America, and even embarking on a remarkable seventeen-day journey to Brazil.
Percy worked diligently and enjoyed life with an unbridled passion - he was a shining example of what it meant to represent our team and our school. He had an everlasting ability to light up the room with his cheerful smile and vibrant laughter. Percy, my DeMatha brother, will be deeply missed, but never forgotten.


My condolences to the family of Percy White...

I went to high school with Percy at DeMatha, he was such a gentle giant and a good person...

With much respect! 🙏🏾 

Dexter Bridgeman!

Sending prayers, love, gratitude and sympathy to Percy's family.  I'm grateful for having worked with Percy over the past 19 years and can 1000% say that I'm a better man for having known Percy.  Many years ago, as a new Probation Officer Percy was a kind mentor and teacher to me.  We worked closely together on the gang task force and the compassion, determination, competence and dedication Percy brought to leading the task force was truly a gift to the community, youth and families. 
One of my favorite memories of Percy is when Facebook first came out and he had re-connected with his former team-mates on the professional team he played for in Chile.  Seeing how his former team -mates respected and loved him and seeing his reaction to their stories/memories and their reaction to his stories was truly a joy and something about Percy that will always stay w/ me.   Percy's love and expertise of African American History is another passion he shared with me and so many others in a way that was educational, thought provoking, captivating,  inclusive and motivational.  
I thank God that I've been so blessed to have known Percy in the above ways and so many other ways over the past 19 years.  He's left so many co-workers and colleagues better off by his presence and countless youth in families in the Alexandria, DMV region.    
Love you Percy -like an older brother- and will miss you and I am a better man for having known you over these years.  RIP. Joe R

I always looked forward to meetings with Percy because his energy and warmth made work so much better. I especially loved hearing about his travels to historic sites and the research he would do about each one. Trips to Alexandria won't be as enticing without the promise of his contagious smile.

My father worked with Percy Senior at the Evening Star. My grandfather and Percy Sr. worked in constrution together. I followed Percy Jr.'s career at DeMatha. He was well liked by his peers . 


 
Bernie Valentine Rhodes , DeMatha '66

I’m sending my condolences to the family, and friends of Percy. I met Percy while a student at Western Kentucky University.  We then became fraternity brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. I will always remember how protective he was to us and how much love he had for us. Rest in Heaven brother Percy.

Keith McGregory 

Our deepest condolences from all his classmates at DeMatha.  We will keep you Percy in our year book of great DeMatha memories.   

~ Jim & Erma Krehely 
(Jim - Class of 79’)

We express our deepest sympathy to Percy's family, loved ones and colleagues. We worked alongside Percy but within separate departments. While getting to know Percy, it did not take long before he taught us that though we serve the community in a different capacity, our goals were truly simply the same. The goal is to make the community in which we serve, a better place. He expressed this not only in words but in his actions. He would assist us at a moment's notice.  Whenever we would see him, he would greet us with a smile and ask us how we were doing. He would stop and take the time to actually listen.
His smile and laughter were contagious, and he will be greatly missed. Our prayer for everyone dealing with this loss, is that your happy memories and the happy memories expressed by others of Percy, give you peace and comfort during this challenging time.

Percy as a friend and former colleague l will truly miss you and our conversations  about your travels and those Commanders. I still find it hard to believe that you are gone but l know that you have found peace and rest in a better place

Mike Locke




Although I have known Percy for a short time, it didn’t take long to see that he was an amazing person and lived a remarkable life. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to work aside Percy. Percy’s energy was amazing, he was inspiring and comforting to be around. Always had a smile on his face and a hug to give! His legacy will live on through the work that he did for the City and the lives he impacted throughout the years. Percy will be sorely missed! 

“The life given us by nature is short, but the memory of a life well spent is eternal.” - Cicero


Percy was a former co worker. He was always a gentleman, kind and considerate. He had a special love for black history and wanted very much to visit iconic black historical sites. I remember his smile . God rest his soul.


1981, Percy on the campus at Western Kentucky University with his fraternity brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi.  My deepest condolences and most heartfelt prayers to the family of my line brother.

On my birthday last year, I sent my baby picture to coworkers and Percy responded with his own baby picture.  We laughed because we had almost identical backgrounds on a porch in public housing! We then shared our memories of our porches and family and there were a lot of similarities.

On my birthday last year I shared my baby picture with my coworkers.  Percy found his picture and we both laughed as we had almost the exact same background !  Rest in peace Percy.   

Percy, the gentle giant.  Loved you vibrant personality and your love and concern for others.  Really one of a kind.  I’m so honored to have had the opportunity to get to know you and call your more than friend but a brother.  It’s hard knowing that I’ll never see you again or talk to you about your latest trips or adventures.. but I’m so happy to know you are now resting in peace.  Godspeed little brother.

Percy, Chris, Christie and Sue Ron's Retirement.

Percy at " The Angel Oak on John Island" Historical Landmark in Charleston, S.C.

Percy at the 50th anniversary of " Bloody Sunday" in Selma.

Percy and Mike J. hosting youth basketball clinic.

We express our deepest sympathies to the family and lasting gratitude to Percy for always leading, caring for, and providing opportunities for us.  

Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center and Sheltercare


Percy,
You were truly unique and very much loved. You will never be forgotten for your kind spirit. We shared your entire CSU career together and spoke so much about retirement. Our trips to New York and New Orleans as colleagues  opened up a richer friendship. Our memories will always be a blessing.  Peace has come !
Your Brother, Hunt

Mr. White, you were one of the kindest men I have ever met.  Your physical presence was undeniable, but it does not compare to the man you were, the Gentle Giant.  Your Character spoke volumes of who you really were.  Your passion and compassion for people were among your greatest assets.  Your smile and your laugh will be missed.  You are now resting with those who you admired and taught so many others about.  Rest in Peace, Percy.  You are Free.  VyVyonne



Percy, you were so wonderful to me when I was principal at JDC and in our work together for the city. Your calm, kind way always made me slow down and smile. You will be missed dearly. 

Percy, 

Words can not express the emptiness I feel at this time. You will be truly missed. You were more than my co-worker; you were my dear friend and one of my beloved big brothers along with (Hunt & Mac.)  Who would have thought 17 years ago when I started a job, I would gain an entire family?  I will miss all the projects we worked on together that were so near and dear to our hearts. Years of organizing and celebrating Black History Month Programs, our work, and our fight for Equity and Equality. Talking about sports your beloved “Commanders”.  Your knowledge and love for the Civil Rights moment, African American History, and History all together were amazing. I learned and gained so much from just talking with you. You brought so much to the City of Alexandria, the state of Virginia, and all those you encountered. You touched some many people with your kindness and passion for whatever you did. I will miss the stories of all your travels to different cemeteries around the country.  I honor you with one of the quotes we would discuss so, sooo, many times from one of our Favorite orators. Rest in peace, my beloved friend and brother. 

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but  where stands at times of challenge and controversy.”  MLK.  

Sending my deepest condolences to the White Family. May God comfort you in your time of need.

With Love
Tasha


I remember hiring Percy as a young man wanting to help kids caught up in the juvenile justice system. This was one of the best decisions I made. Percy was a terrific probation officer and helped so many.  When I retired, I began teaching at George Mason. By then, Percy was promoted to Gang Prevention and Intervention coordinator.  I would have him come to speak to my classes .  Students would often tell me that his presentation was one of the highlights of the class.  His passing was more upsetting to me than I can say.  He will be sorely missed. Just a wonderful human being.

P,  you were more than a friend, you were my brother! I will truly miss our conversations about the state of many things from the world news, the JOB we worked together for many years, to your fast approaching retirement! 

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other. Amen…..

Mr. Mac

OBITUARY

Percy Ell White III

April 29, 1960 – January 10, 2023

Fort Lincoln Funeral Home & Cemetery

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