J. Marvin White, 69, certified public accountant
Mr. White retired in 2011 after a long career as a CPA. He was a devoted dad, and urged his daughters to "seize opportunities and break glass ceilings."
J. Marvin White, 69, of Plymouth Meeting, a retired certified public accountant, died Sunday, June 2, of congestive heart failure at his home.
Mr. White held executive positions at financial consulting firms in Washington and Philadelphia, and retired in 2011 from Vivaldi Partners, a Manhattan management consulting firm, with the title of controller. He had worked there since 2004.
Born in Kansas City, Mo., to Junius and Emma White, he graduated from Central High School in Kansas City in 1967. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., in 1971 and a master’s degree in business administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1976.
While on the Penn campus, he met Mary-Etta Boxley. They married in 1974 and had four daughters, whom they raised in Philadelphia.
Mr. White and his wife were fitness enthusiasts. They joined the Philadelphia Tennis Club and competed in tournaments. They took bike tours through New England.
A devoted father and husband, Mr. White enjoyed taking the family to pick apples, peaches, and strawberries. Then he would head for the kitchen and whip up desserts such as his signature strawberry chiffon pie with graham cracker crust.
“It was so good,” said daughter Brandyn Hicks. “I still make it.”
Mr. White instilled a strong work ethic in his daughters and made himself available for coaching in academics. For example, he helped one daughter complete a complex calculus problem, printed pathology slides for another who was facing exams, and explained to a third how capital gains are taxed at a lower rate than income.
“He encouraged [us] to seize opportunities and break glass ceilings,” his daughters said in a written tribute.
He also enjoyed seeing his daughters compete in the U.S. Olympic Swim Team Trials, Pan American Games, Dad Vail Regatta, and NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming Championships.
“My dad was the ultimate motivator, and made a pact with my mother to provide fertile soil for each of us to excel in any environment,” Hicks said.
Mr. White enjoyed sports, computers, and smooth jazz. Marvin Gaye and Dionne Warwick were his favorite vocalists. He listened to SportsRadio 94 WIP and was a fan of the 76ers, especially of Julius Erving. He was ecstatic over the Eagles’ 2018 Super Bowl win despite being a Kansas City Chiefs fan.
Mr. White was also a World War II history buff who loved learning about military planes.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2005, but refused to let it slow him down, his family said. He and his wife traveled to the Canary Islands, Germany, Austria, France, and Switzerland.
Well-versed in current events and politics, he was an avid consumer of news on TV, radio and in newspapers. “Marvin would often consult five or six news sources at the start of the day as he drank his coffee, black and ground fresh from the beans that came from the A&P,” his family said.
Late in life, Mr. White enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Virginia, and Long Island.
In addition to his daughter and wife, he is survived by daughters Bianca del Rio, Brigitte Zivkovic, and Brielle; five grandsons; and a sister.
Services were Monday, June 10.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research via www.michaeljfox.org/donate.