Madill High School - Wildcat Yearbook (Madill, OK)

Page 17 text:

Our Sparkling Inspiration Kerry White passed quietly from the scene of Madill High Monday, Oct. 24, after a gallant battle with muscular dystrophy. Even when he entered school here as a freshman, he was confined to a wheelchair, but this did not prevent his continued efforts to participate fully in life, especially in school events. Kerry was completely supported in these efforts by his parents, Ken and Mary Fern, and by his older brother, Kevin. He regularly attended Madill High’s football games and pep rallies in a colorfully painted van his parents recently purchased. No fan’s car was better decorated than the White family’s nor any family more supportive of the Wildcat team’s efforts. At the homecoming pep assembly, Kerry was honored by the senior class, with a plaque. A copy of this plaque will be placed in the fieldhouse beside a new trophy case dedicated in Kerry’s honor. Receiving the plaque, Kerry spoke out strongly, expressing his apprecia- tion. This evoked a standing ovation and a rare moment from an enthusi- astic student body. Kerry was hospit- alized shortly thereafter for his final stay at the hospital. Not so well known about Kerry was the fact that he was carrying on over 100 Bible correspondence courses with individuals in Africa. These indi- viduals expressed interest in learning more about the Bible. Kerry, in turn, mailed them lessons, which they mailed back to him for grading and correction. Not only a sports fan and Bible scholar, Kerry enjoyed the finer things of life before he lost good control of Kerry White his hands. He was quite a talented artist and the family has a number of pen and ink drawings attesting to this. He was also quite a Barry Manilow fan and had a number of his tapes. Many people knew Kerry was a race car enthusiast. Bobby Orr, the famous racer, came to Madill two summers ago especially to give Kerry the ride of a lifetime when he took Kerry down Lillie Boulevard in his race car. That day traffic was temporarily stopped on Lillie Boulevard! Kerry’s room was decorated with model race cars. Two summers ago he met Jerry Lewis at a race car meet and the inci- dent was filmed for broadcast over the Jerry Lewis telethon for muscular dystrophy. Fellow students enjoyed Kerry’s company. He is remembered as a good conversationalist and an avid TV fan of pro-football matches and race car competitions. They also recall he liked to lie in a hammock under a big oak tree in the family yard. There he would count passing diesel trucks as he listened to traffic from the nearby highway. Students of Madill High have been deeply moved by Kerry’s example of courage in the midst of battle, of tenacity for life while there was breath, of good cheer in the face of death. We can honor Kerry White’s memory by living up to the ideals he showed so well. He has been, as the senior class inscribed on the plaque, “our sparkling inspiration.”