Edwin Elton White Sr. was born on July 25, 1943, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, to Ed White and Elsie Ambrose White. He passed away on May 8, 2026, at MedStar Washington Hospital Center at the age of 82.
Edwin was the oldest of five children. His younger siblings were Willie James, Cary O’Neal, Anna Marie, and Matthew Henry “Joe” White. He was raised on the family farm, where the values of hard work, faith, and family were deeply rooted. After his parents divorced, his mother married Herman Slade, and Edwin gained additional siblings: Odessa, Mary Ann, and Herman Jr.
Faith was an important part of Edwin’s early life. He sang in the church choir and grew up in a home where church and family were central. His brother Willie remembered their mother saying, “When you weren’t in the field, you were in the church.”
As the oldest child, Edwin helped guide and look after his younger brothers and sister. He took great pride in this role, and his steady presence remained a source of support for his siblings throughout his life. Edwin is remembered as carrying a quiet strength within his family, a strength that stayed with him in every chapter of his life.
Edwin graduated from Georgetown High School in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in 1962 on a college preparatory track. During high school, he played basketball and baseball, sang in the choir, and developed a clear gift for commercial and fine art.
After graduation, Edwin moved to Washington, D.C., and attended Howard University from 1962 to 1966, majoring in Fine Arts. While in Washington, he encouraged his brother Willie to come to D.C. as well. During the Vietnam War era, Edwin and Willie went to Arlington, Virginia, to voluntarily enlist for military service. Willie was accepted, but Edwin was unable to enlist because of severe asthma. Edwin returned to Howard University and completed his studies. At a later time, Edwin and Willie encouraged their younger brother Matthew to move to Washington, D.C., a decision that helped shape the next chapter of all of their lives.
In 1966, Edwin met Marcella White at a holiday gathering in Washington, D.C., a fateful meeting that led to their marriage later that same year. Together, they welcomed two sons, Edwin Elton White Jr. and Michael Elton White. Though they later went their separate ways, Marcella remained an important part of Edwin’s life story through the shared love of their sons.
Edwin went on to work at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University from 1967 to 1969. He later co-founded Another Color, an advertising and design company, with Samuel T. Haltom. The company operated from 1966 to 1985. Edwin named the company Another Color because he and Sam came from different racial backgrounds, but shared the same creative vision. To Edwin, the name reflected two artists of “another color” who loved the same work and believed design could transform manuscripts and visuals into clear, powerful tools for promotion and publication.
Another Color offered a wide range of services to private and public organizations, including design, commercial planning and development, package design, visual communications, corporate identification, illustration, interior design, exhibit design, and creative concepts. Edwin also completed extensive work with the U.S. government, creating illustrations and design materials for various purposes. His portfolio included work with the Government Affairs Institute, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, where he also designed the reception desk. His work included magazine layouts, advertisements, visual communications, and design connected to military equipment. He also worked as a private contractor, designing for companies such as Firestone and Haan Shoes.
While building his career, Edwin also served as Art Director of WMAL-TV 7, now known as ABC 7 News/WJLA, from 1967 to 1970. In this role, he designed the station’s logo and traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii, to capture the splashdown of Apollo 8 on December 27, 1968. Apollo 8 was the first crewed mission to leave Earth’s orbit and reach the moon. During this time, Edwin was in Hawaii with his wife, Marcella, and their two sons, Edwin Jr. and Michael.
While in Hawaii, Edwin continued to expand the breadth of his creative work. He designed automobiles with Harry Paterson and worked for a design house on the island of Oahu. Wherever he went, Edwin used his artistic gifts to bring ideas, images, and stories to life.
Edwin’s professional reputation reflected both his talent and his character. In a 1985 professional letter, one client described Edwin as an outstanding designer and one of the most cooperative and honest individuals they had the pleasure of working with. His work was respected, his services were trusted, and his name was recommended to others because he delivered with skill, care, and reliability. At times, Edwin Sr. combined his skills with his strong spiritual foundation. This was prominently displayed with projects such as the gold leaf he laid on the dome of the United House of Prayer for All People in Washington, D.C. and his collaboration with Rehoboth Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. in which he painted church information and the Boy Scouts of America logo on their community vans.
In 1980, Edwin met Marjorie Foley, who remained his loving longtime partner until the time of his passing. Their relationship lasted 46 years and was an important part of Edwin’s life. Together, they enjoyed the company of many friends and traveling abroad to England which cultivated a strong bond with Marjorie’s relatives in the United Kingdom.
Later in life, Edwin put his mother’s needs before his own and took a break from his career to care for her in North Carolina as she lived with Alzheimer’s disease. He helped care for her home and garden and remained devoted to her until her death on November 22, 2000.
Edwin carried with him a spirit of determination, creativity, and steadiness. Those who knew him knew that his gifts extended far beyond his profession. He could talk his way into and out of anything. He was dependable, thoughtful, and grounded. He carried the quiet strength of someone who understood the importance of family, work, and keeping one’s word.
Edwin’s life reflected creativity, integrity, faith, and love for the people connected to him. His life was a testament to the power of family, hard work, and character. He will be remembered for the love he gave, the example he set, and the legacy he leaves behind.
Edwin was preceded in death by his parents, Ed White and Elsie (Ambrose) White; his stepfather, Herman Slade; his former wife and mother of his children, Marcella White; and his brother, Matthew Henry “Joe” White.
He leaves to cherish his memory his longtime partner, Marjorie Foley; his two sons, Edwin Elton White Jr. (Tabatha White) and Michael Elton White (Kimberly Wright-White); six grandchildren, Jada Ralston White, Joel White, Joshua White, Alexa White, Ashley White, and Ariel White; one great-grandchild, Isla Rose Ralston; his siblings, Willie James, Cary O’Neal, and Anna Marie; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, church family, and dear friends.