Page 7 - Boca ViewPointe - February '20

February 2020 Viewpointe, Page 7
Meet Our Neighbor William T. White, Jr.

By Mort Mazor development program and spiritual leaders for molding him into the adult he
for Africare including became—the person who has dedicated his life to helping
Back in November we were enthralled with the telecasts construction of a $1.1 humanity.
of the hearings in Washington, D.C. of former U. S. Ukraine million irrigation system
Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. Many of us didn’t realize and directed operations Mort Mazor and his wife Lucille were West Delray
at that time one of our newer residents, William T. White, of three primary health residents for 27 years prior to relocating to Stratford
Jr. spent his entire career dedicated to serving others in the care clinics and one field Court, Boca Raton, Oct. 7, 2014. They celebrated their
U.S. and abroad, retiring as a U. S. Senior Foreign Service hospital. 74th wedding anniversary March 20, 2019.
Officer in 1985. He established World Since 2008 he has written over 500 articles for the
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he earned a B.S. at Ohio State Vision International’s weekly sections of the Sun-Sentinel. Current topics cover
University and post graduate studies in Law and Accounting presence in Baluchistan senior’s outstanding achievements, wellness, and finance.
at Case Western Reserve and Southwestern U. Province, Pakistan He retired in 2018 from teaching a weekly course in
He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps at Ft. and initiated liaison Creative Writing began in 2002. The course continues at
Richardson, Alaska. with international and Weisman Community Center, West Atlantic Ave. Delray
The impeccably dressed and groomed 88-year-old non-gove rnm enta l Beach every Monday, 1 to 3:00 pm. 
William married Margaret Ann Childers, (nicknamed organizations and
Peggy) March 28, 1953. The family grew to two sons, a diplomatic missions. He
daughter and three grandchildren: William T. White III, 65 of relief and rehabilitation assistance for Afghan refugees Regrets
was also responsible for development and management
manages a Macy’s in the D.C. area; David, 64 is a marketing
research executive with Dirmark Corp.; Daughter Angela, in preparation for their resettlement in Afghanistan post-
59 serves as C.O.O. for Reed & Associates, an accounting Soviet occupation. By Judith Levy
firm in the D.C. area. Sadly, Margaret Ann passed in June William directed international training for the Agency
2004. for International Development involving up to 1,200 Looking back,
William’s life goal has always been to serve others. participants per year from around the world; managed U.S. wishing things were
“Throughout my life helping people in need has given me economic development programs for the Sahel and West different, being sorry
my greatest personal satisfaction.” Africa Region of A.I.D. and coordinated the efforts of other about choices you made
He began his career directing business and economic donor countries. He also managed a $50 million private is a monumental waste
development projects for the Los Angeles Area Economic sector development project in Pakistan for the A.I.D. of time. The richest man
Development Agency generating loans and providing From 1986 to 2004 when he finally retired, William in the world can’t get
management assistance to small business owners. Here, worked in the private sector for the American Council on yesterday back so you
when he was 26 years old he met and worked for a Asia and Pacific Affairs, a consulting group; American won’t be able to either.
gentleman named John A. Buggs who became a positive Airlines; Africare and World Vision International, two non- Whatever mistakes you made, you learned from them and
influence on him throughout his career. governmental organizations; The Sigur Center for Asian if you didn’t that was an education in itself. Most of us,
“He impressed me with his integrity, character, honesty, Studies, a research center at George Washington University; just like you have graduated from “The School of Hard
knowledge, political acumen and grace,” said William. “He and on Capitol Hill as Chief of Staff for a member of the Knocks” and most have hopefully smartened up.
was truly a man for all seasons.” U. S. House of Representatives. Was there was a fork in the road you traveled and you
“I worked for him for four years in California county Throughout his distinguished career William travelled chose the one to the left? Would the one to the right have
government then left to work in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia. and worked in 21 countries in Africa from Algeria to been better, who knows? The road you chose may have
For the next sixteen years I served as a staff Foreign Service Zimbabwe; 12 countries in Europe from Austria to had fewer bumps or perhaps it may have had many more
Officer. I then rejoined John A. Buggs in Washington, D. Switzerland; 16 countries in Near East and Asia from with deeper potholes. That’s the mystery of “what if” and
C. He was now a federal government official in charge of Afghanistan to Vietnam. He speaks Amharic, French and no one ever knows the answer.
the Model Cities program.” Urdu besides English. Do you believe that we are destined to walk on a
In Ethiopia a second time William managed a $3.6 million William credits his family members, teachers, religious prescribed journey and no matter which way you turn or
which choice you make you will be on this predestined
road? In Yiddish there’s a word called “Bashert”, and that
means it was meant to be, or whatever will be will be, or
it was written in the stars.
So, look toward tomorrow with the joy and challenges
it offers and forget about yesterday with its mishaps. No
one gets a do over, and no one wins every time, but smart
people put behind themselves unhappiness over the milk
that’s already been spilled or water that’s already gone
under the bridge and they say a welcome goodbye to
regrets.
Of course, if you said the wrong thing or did the wrong
thing perhaps there’s still time today to rectify things, but
if it’s too late, don’t keep rehashing it, learn from it and go
forward. Don’t demand perfection from yourself, you can’t
achieve it and be comforted that no one else can either.
Most of all consider if you had your life to live over,
you’d probably make the very same choices, so, turn the
page, because clearly that chapter is over, that curtain is
down, that bird has flown, that pie has been baked and
the fat lady has sung. Do yourself a big favor, embrace
today and don’t look back. Choose not to be the foolish
one who ruminates again and again over what can’t be
changed. Be the one who reaches for the sunshine of a
new day by wisely taking the opportunity to move forward,
unencumbered by useless regrets. Cheer up my friend, you
did the best you could.

Judith Levy is the New York Times best-selling
author of GRANDMOTHER REMEMBERS which
has sold over four million copies and the mega best
seller GRANDFATHER REMEMBERS, published by
HarperCollins. 

Lease Renewals

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