Bathurst - It is with great sadness that we the family, announce the passing of our father, Roland White of Daniel Drive, which occurred on Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Bathurst. Roland was 80 years old.

Born in Bathurst, Roland was the son of the late Clifford and Opal (Aubé) White. He was predeceased by his wife of 50 years, Gail (Fenelon).

Roland will be lovingly remembered by his children, Randy (Ellen MacKay) of Chicago, Illinois, Brad (Donna Henry) of Bathurst, and Kari (Jeff Davison) of Calgary, AB; his grandchildren Jeremy, Tyler, Graeme, Alistair, Maddy, and Nora; and his great-grandchild, Anthony.

Also left to cherish his memory are his sisters: Betty Bouma (Hans) of Robertville, Gerry Sloan (Stephen) of Burlington ON, Carolyn White (Bill Goss) of Fredericton, and his brother Rodney (Rusty) White of Halifax, as well as many nieces and nephews and his beloved in-laws from the Miramichi.

Besides his wife and parents, he was predeceased by a sister, Sandra, and a granddaughter, Erica.

From his childhood Roland enjoyed sports, and had a special love for hockey, learning to play on Riverside Drive where he grew up and later coaching his sons and travelling with them across New Brunswick for tournaments. He was also active in the Scouting movement from a young age and into adulthood when he became a leader.

Roland was a graduate of the New Brunswick Teacher’s College and later l’Université de Moncton. He began his teaching career in Woodstock before returning to Bathurst, where he met Gail. They were both young teachers at the same school. Roland taught French as a Second Language for over 30 years before retiring in 1999. He spent the majority of his career teaching junior high school, which was a great fit for his calm and patient demeanor. He had a gift for building a rapport with his students through humour and banter about his hockey nemeses, the Montreal Canadiens. As an educator Roland supported students in and out of the classroom, coaching volleyball, overseeing numerous extracurricular activities, and chaperoning many school trips. After his official retirement, he went on to teach as a substitute for another 10 years because he missed being in schools and enjoyed connecting with different colleagues and students across the district. Roland also taught part-time for a number of years at the New Brunswick Community College in Bathurst.

Roland was generous and loved to help others. At work, in his community, and with his family and friends he was known for his eagerness to serve and support others. In addition to coaching hockey, he volunteered at several committees and community organizations in Bathurst. He announced hockey games for the Bathurst High School Phantoms for many years, and he was an active and dedicated member of Holy Family Church, serving on the parish council. He also volunteered his time as a 4th-degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Given Roland’s humble nature, there are likely many more contributions that went unmentioned. More than anything, though, Roland loved his family, especially his grandchildren. Of all his roles, being their Papa was his favourite. He will be dearly missed by those who knew him.

There will be no visitation at the funeral home. A funeral mass will be held on Monday, February 10, 2025, at 2:00 pm at Holy Family Church. A reception will be held immediately following the service in the church basement.

For those who wish to send tokens of sympathy, the family would appreciate honouring our father with a donation to the charity of your choice.