Rex D. White of Fredericksburg, passed away on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 at the age of 67 years.

Rex was born on July 25, 1954 in Montgomery, AL to David Thurston White, Sr. and Grace Thompson White.  Surviving family members include his wife of 41 years, Mary Louise White of Fredericksburg, and one sister, Debra White Christensen of California. Extended family members include sister-in-law Kate Judson (David) of Sacramento, CA and their children Kevin Judson, Carolyn Urso (Justin), and Elise Elliott (Rhodes), and their children; Nyna Dolby (William) of Los Altos, CA, and their children Joseph Dolby (Alisa), and Louise Schultze (Brian), and their children; sister-in-law Sarah Parkhouse (Robin) of Orlando, FL and her daughter Allison Paxton (William), and daughter-in-law Leslie White and their children; niece Leigh Anne Hixon (John) of Montgomery, AL, and their daughter, and nephew Brad Payne (Karen) of Huntsville, AL and their children. Rex was preceded in death by his parents; his sister and brother-in-law Linda White Payne and Ted Payne; brother David Thurston White Jr.; and nephew David Thurston White III (Trey).

Rex was raised in Montgomery and Tuscaloosa, AL, graduating from Tuscaloosa High School in 1972. He attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, graduating in 1977 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering.   He joined Army ROTC in 1975, and as a cadet, completed Airborne School and Ranger School in the summer of 1976. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army the summer of 1977, and attended the Engineer Officer Basic Course at Fort Belvoir, VA in 1977. He went on to Fort Hood, TX and served as a Platoon Leader of an Atomic Demolitions Platoon, and was promoted to First Lieutenant. He was honorably discharged in 1979. He received the Army Commendation Medal for outstanding service, and the National Defense Service Medal. Some of his fondest memories were of his time with his Ranger buddies in the Army, often recounting the stories of adventures and challenges they endured together.

Before discharge from the military, he sought the services of a recruiting firm that placed military officers with major corporations. It was there he met his wife, Mary Lou, who was working for that firm.  She helped to place him with Corning Glass Works in Corning, New York. They were married on July 26, 1980 in Carmichael, CA, and spent their honeymoon driving across country to settle in New York. After working for Corning as a Production Supervisor in Flat Glass Finishing for two years, he left to attend the Wendel Castle Workshop in Scottsville, NY to pursue his dream of learning the art of fine furniture craftmanship. Upon completion, they moved to California, where Rex worked for cabinetmaker Boris Wolff. They later moved to Fairfax, CA for Rex to work for Stuart Welch as his foreman in his fine furniture-making shop.

In 1986, due to Mary Lou's career, they moved to Fredericksburg, TX, where Rex started his own business, Rex White Custom Furniture. Over the past 36 years, Rex received several awards at the annual KACC Texas Furniture Maker's Show in Kerrville, TX for his furniture entries; "First Place" in the Central Texas Biennial Craft Competition at The Art Center, Waco, Texas; and awards in the Winedale Spring Festival Craft Show in Round Top, TX. Additionally, he was an exhibitor and speaker at Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, Texas. His work appeared in multiple publications including, Design Book Three, Fine Woodworking; Metropolitan Home; Texas Highways; Woodcraft magazine and Woodworker West.

Rex had many clients who now enjoy his fine craftmanship in their homes. His most notable client was Lady Bird Johnson. Rex was known for his attention to detail, fine joinery, and the finest of finishes.

In addition to being a fine artist and craftsman, Rex was an avid bicyclist and racer (both road and mountain bikes), starting in his college years, all the way until three days before he died. He was also an active Rotarian, serving as the perennial Sergeant-at-Arms for his club. Rex could fix almost anything and loved to work with his hands. He was a gun enthusiast, enjoyed flying model airplanes, and loved to be outdoors in the sunshine and warm weather. Rex loved his dogs, two heelers (Texas cattle dogs) named Toohey and Stetson. They were his sidekicks and followed him everywhere.

A "Celebration of Life" will be held on Sunday, March 20 at 4:00 pm at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Fredericksburg.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be given in his memory to the Texas Furniture Maker's Show (c/o KACC, 228 Earl Garrett Street, Kerrville, TX 78028), St. Barnabas Church, Rotary International, or the charity of one's choice.