Memorials:

In lieu of flowers the family has requested contributions to the Cabool Cemetery

Interment:

Cabool Cemetery

Obituary:

Roger Thomas "Spunk" White, 75 passed away on January 13, 2020 at the Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston, MO.  He was born on August 20, 1944 to Bob and Deloris (Adams) White in Freeburg, Missouri.  Spunk arrived a bit early and was tiny, he needed to show some spunk and fortitude to flourish resulting in his grandmother, Edith Adams giving him the nickname "Spunk".  She said he would have to be a "spunky little thing" to live.  That nickname stuck and turned out to be a perfect description of the very special, one of a kind personality he exhibited his entire life.

Spunk started first grade in Cabool and a short six weeks later his family moved to Lebanon, Missouri.  He attended Lebanon schools through his freshman year of high school.  The summer before his sophomore year his family returned to Cabool and he attended Cabool High School until he graduated in 1962.

Spunk cherished his high school years. He was student body president as well as prom king his senior year.  He was in the marching band and was active in sports.  He was a proud member of the SCA championship football team, a subject he spoke of with pride his whole life.  The very special bonds and friendships he formed with his football teammates also lasted a lifetime.

After graduation, Spunk attended Moler Barber College in St. Louis.  Upon completion of Moler, he returned to Cabool opening a barber shop on Main Street with Reuben Roberts. He was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Gloria Bennett on April 13th, 1963. They welcomed daughter, Robyn later that year.  Another daughter, Lynn was born in 1970.    In 1971 he took a management job at Lowe's Trucking and Boating Line in Lebanon, Missouri but still resided in Cabool.  He later became an over the road truck driver for the majority of his career which transferred Spunk and Gloria first to Springfield, Missouri in 1991 and later to Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 1996.  He retired from Consolidated Freightways in 2002.

Immediately following his retirement, Spunk and Gloria moved to Hillsboro, Missouri a suburb of St. Louis, to be close to and help daughter, Robyn with her young family after their son-in-law suffered a life altering auto accident. They remained in Hillsboro until October 17th of 2019 and had just recently moved after purchasing a home in Mtn. Grove, Missouri.  Spunk was so thrilled to be back "home" and loved being back in the area even though it was just for a very short time.

Spunk was a member of the Hillsboro Christian Church; he was a proud Teamster as well as a Shriner.  He was an avid sports fan, especially if the sporting event involved one of his grandchildren or following NASCAR. He enjoyed hunting and boating and was a self-declared wannabe cowboy.  Above all else, Spunk loved and took tremendous pride in his beautiful wife and their family.

Spunk was preceded in death by his grandparents, parents and several cousins.  He is survived by his wife of nearly 57 years, Gloria; his two daughters and their husbands, Robyn and Mike Brady and Lynn and Dave Noirfalise; granddaughters, Lacey Brady, McKenna Noirfalise and Preslee Noirfalise; grandson, Benjamin Brady; great granddaughter, Elliana Elizabeth; his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Sherry and Larry Boyce; niece, Heather Mullins, her husband, Rodney and great nieces, Reagan and Reese Mullins; nephew, Justin Boyce and his wife, Sarah and great niece and nephew, Brooklyn and Maximus Boyce; as well as several cousins who were dear to him like siblings because he was an only child.  Spunk was also survived by many special lifetime friends who he considered to be family, among some of them are James "Bull" and Vicki Woods, Jerry and Louise Rader, Leroy and Paula Walls, Mike and Julia Jones and Ed and Connie Jones.