Glenn White
Dan McClelland
Glenn White passed peacefully on July 3, 2021, after a short battle with cancer. He was born on January 11, 1941 in Tupper Lake to parents Alfred and Elsie White.
He spent his youth in the outdoors, hunting, trapping, and fishing. He was also a pitcher for Little League (he kept the baseball from a “no-hitter” game of which he was especially proud), winner of the 1953 Soap Box derby, and on the high school baseball and basketball teams (one of his team photos is still on display in the former Swiss Kitchen).
He was one of Len Perry’s boys. He graduated from Tupper Lake High in 1958 and served honorably in the Marines for four years, before returning back to the States, eventually settling in Syracuse, N.Y.
He retired from Chrysler after 35 years and was thrilled to have more time to pursue his life’s passion – skiing. He has been described as an “icon” in the skiing community in Syracuse by his friends, due to his love for the sport and involvement in the Onondaga Ski Club, as well as being a supporter of the New England Ski Museum in New Hampshire. He was a member of the National Ski Hall of Fame and an associate member of the 10th Mountain Division, WWII Ski Troops.
He was a staple at the Labrador ski area outside Syracuse, and has kept every annual ski pass tied together, which he displayed with pride at his home. He loved photography, especially of nature, and won several local photography contests. He was an “on the hill” photographer for Lab, and his pictures appeared in their brochures. He also loved skiing at Whiteface in Lake Placid and Killington in Vermont.
He earned the nickname “Short Ski” as he often would use very short skis, which allowed him to make super quick turns, all the way down the slope. He was a ski historian and was an avid collector of antique ski equipment, much of which he donated to museums and other places for display purposes.
His lifelong love of the outdoors also resulted in him being a Boy Scout leader, taking troops for camping and hiking in the High Peaks. He spent his summer months maintaining trails for the NY Department of Natural Resources in central New York, particularly in the Tinker Falls area, near Labrador. He was a donor and supporter of the Wild Center.
He is survived by his daughter, Melissa Choudhry, two grandsons, his sister and brother Bette Lou Varden and Neil White, Neil’s wife Sandee, and four nephews and one niece.
Services were held in Syracuse, and he is buried in St. Alphonsus.
In his memory, he would want for everyone to “Think Snow.”