Thomas F. White

WEST BOYLSTON - Thomas Francis White, age 85, passed away peacefully on September 13, 2026 at Rose Monahan Hospice Home, surrounded by the family he loved so dearly.

Born on August 3, 1941, in Worcester, MA, Tom was the son of Theodore C. White and Elizabeth M. (O'Brien) White. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister Helena Dennis Harrington and her husband Phillip; his brother William White and his wife Virginia Bryson; his brother James White and his wife Dorothea Bassios; his sister Joan Conrad; his sister-in-law, Carol Ferguson; and his great-grandsons, Tyler and Lucas White.

At the center of Tom's life was his beloved wife of 62 years, Barbara E. (Ferguson) White. Theirs was a marriage built on steady devotion, easy laughter, and the kind of quiet companionship that grows deeper over time. Together they raised a family, weathered the years, and shared a lifetime of stories.

A proud graduate of Classical High School, Tom was named Worcester All-City 1960 as a pitcher — the first chapter in a love affair with the game that would run through every decade of his life. After graduating High School, Tom was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization where he pitched for their minor league affiliates in Reno, Nevada and Batavia, New York. Prior to his signing with Pittsburgh, he had the opportunity to have a tryout with his beloved Boston Red Sox. He pitched to Ted Williams at Fitton Field, and, as his brother Jim would recount the tale, “Ted Williams hit a ball so far off of Tommy, that it would have landed on the middle of I-290 had it been there at the time!” He went on to graduate from Worcester State College in 1979, where he gave as much as he learned: serving as an assistant baseball coach and staying active in the Drama Club and the Chess Club.

Long after his own playing days ended, Tom kept showing up for baseball. He coached American Legion Baseball in Grafton, Auburn, and Main South in Worcester, investing himself in

the young athletes who came through those programs and the communities that rallied around them.

Off the field, Tom built his working life at the General Motors Framingham plant, starting in the Paint Department and retiring as a Logistics Coordinator — the trusted link between the buyer, the plant, and area dealers. He was equally proud of his years serving as a UAW representative, where he made a point of standing up for the people he worked beside.

Retirement gave Tom new ways to give back. He drove Chair vans for neighbors who needed rides to their appointments and worked as ground maintenance at Holden Hills Country Club. Tom’s greatest passion was playing golf. He was fiercely proud of his two holes-in-one — first at Holden Hills on July 5, 2006, and again at Kettle Brook on September 15, 2011. Tom was equally proud of his 4-Ball championship win pairing with his nephew, Kevin. Tom would later recount “I had to carry him to the win!”

Tom’s competitive nature extended beyond golf and baseball with legendary Scrabble matches with his sister-in-law, Carol on their numerous family vacations over the years. In his later years, you could often find him at the local senior centers with a deck of cards in his hand and a circle of friends around him.

Tom's family was his proudest legacy. He is survived by his devoted wife, Barbara, and by his two sons and their families: Timothy J. White and his wife Diane (Suurhans) and their children Joseph, Charles, and Jillian; and Richard W. White and his wife Amy (Mitchell) and their children William (with his former spouse Robin Koons), Zachary, Kayla, Mitchell, Brady, Thomas, Samuel, and Victoria; Robin Marin (Koons) and her husband Bob, and their children Dakota and Olivia. He was the proud great-grandfather of Logan, Zachary, Kalani, Lucas, Tyler, Maggie, Charlotte, Noah, Connor, Archer, and Charlotte Dawn and he was loved fiercely by his nieces and nephews, his brothers-in-law, Richard Ferguson, Robert Ferguson and Dick Conrad, his loving sister-in-law, Cheryl Ferguson and close friends.

Visiting hours will be held on Friday, September 18, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden. A Funeral Service will immediately follow at 12:00 p.m. in the funeral home. Interment will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made in Tom's memory to Rose Monahan Hospice Homes, 10 Judith Road, Worcester, MA 01602, https://vnacare.org/patients/rose-monahan-hospice-home. The family is deeply grateful for the kindness and support shared during this time.

Tom will be deeply missed — by his family, his friends, and the many lives he touched along the way. His warmth, his humor, and his steady devotion to the people and passions he loved will be remembered always.