Thomas Edgar ‘Coach’ White

Thomas Edgar ‘Coach’ White, 87, of Moultrie, died Monday, Nov. 26, 2012, at his home.

Graveside rites will be 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 28, at Cobb Suncrest Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Henry Cannington and the Rev. Joe Smith  officiating. All former players of the Packer Football Teams that were coached by him will serve as honorary casketbearers, as well as his friends that he ran with.

Born Feb. 23, 1925, in Fitzgerald, Ga., he was the son of the late Scott White and Faye Kennedy White. He played football for Fitzgerald from 1940-42, serving as co-captain in 1942. He was also on the track team and competed in the state track meet in the high jump. After attending the University of Massachusetts, in 1943, he joined the United States Army Air Corps, where he was a flight engineer and gunner on the B-24 bomber during World War II. After the war, he continued his education and graduated from Georgia Southern in 1949. That fall, he was named head football coach at Cochran High. The next season, he joined the football staff at Moultrie High School under coach Jim Still.

He served as the Moultrie High line coach from 1950-65 and coached a number of superb linemen including Buddy McCoy, Lindy Boatwright, Frank Hanna, Dick Beard, Roscoe Holland, Ed Griffin, Wayne Tucker, Bob Montgomery, Dewey Cobb, Bobby Cobb and others.

He earned his master’s degree from Florida State in 1955, and, after retiring from coaching, was an assistant principal at Moultrie High from 1965-1979. He also was head of the attendance office at Colquitt County High from 1979-1986 before retiring.

He was also a runner and competed in more than 300 races, including the Peachtree Road Race for a number of years. He was selected to carry the Olympic Torch through Colquitt County in 1996 and the exercise trail is named the Tom White Linear Park in his honor. He was active in First United Methodist Church.

He was preceded in death by one brother, Alec White.

Survivors include his wife, Caroline McElroy White of Moultrie; two sons, John Scott White of Moultrie and Mike White and wife Jane of Cordele, Ga.; two daughters, Beth W. Bass and husband Richard of Moultrie and Anne W. Cannington and husband Henry of Lake Park, Ga.; one brother, Jerry White of Fitzgerald, Ga.; five grandchildren, Josh Bass, Jase Bass, Megan Southwell, Carrie Dampier and Ashley Carter; and nine great-grandchildren, Caroline Bass, Tru Bass, Bo Bass, Sascha Bass, John Tyler Southwell, Taylor Beth Bass, Gracie Dampier, Kendyl  Dampier and Ashton Kate Carter.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Moultrie YMCA, 601 26th Ave., S.E., Moultrie, Ga., 31768.

The family may be contacted at the residence.

Cobb Funeral Chapel has been entrusted with arrangements.

Please leave condolences to the family at www.moultrieobserver.com.