Living History

Reprinted from Traditions, Winter 2020-21
April 26, 2021

When Leo White ’37 attended Cretin, St. Paul was already a bustling city of 280,000. Much of the city would look familiar today — the cathedral, capitol building, and First National Bank building had already taken their place in the skyline, and DeGidio’s Restaurant even opened that year. It was a time of increasing political polarization and a quarter of the workforce was unemployed. The 1937 yearbook notes: “A flu epidemic nearly gave us a vacation as it absented85 students in one day.”

Of course, there was plenty that looked different as well. Streetcars crisscrossed the city and connected to Minneapolis and small towns outside the cities, although hitchhiking was the
most popular way to get around. Many of the state parks we enjoy today didn’t exist — they would be constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps throughout the Depression.

White remembers it as a difficult time both for the nation and for his family — his father was a singer who was successful in the 1920’s but struggled once the Depression hit.

“It was not a good time,” he remembered. “Nobody had any money. Entertainment was very limited. We did a lot of walking. I played baseball and did a lot of ice skating.”

A few years later, White was a student at St. Thomas when he was drafted into the Navy. After passing the flight physical, he was able to stay in school for one more semester and then attended flight training. His experience at Cretin had prepared him well for boot camp, and after training he became a flight instructor himself. After a few months, he was deployed to the Pacific, where he flew for the rest of the war. He shares the stoicism of many members of his generation when recalling his time in the Navy.

“I had no choice,” he said. “The Navy was very orderly, they knew how to take care of us, I have no hard feelings as far as the Navy was concerned. They did what they were supposed to do and I did what I was supposed to do. Nothing unusual.”

He spent five years on active duty and ten years in the reserves. He joined Merrill Lynch as a stockbroker out of the St. Paul office, married Marjorie Brack in 1943, and they had four children together.

Tragically, Marjorie unexpectedly died of acute leukemia in 1956, leaving White with four young children and a need of a fresh start.

Coincidentally, in the 1937 yearbook, one of his classmates predicted that White would be living in Hollywood by 1957, having “rocketed to fame since Bela Lugosi [who played Dracula] and Boris Karloff [who played Frankenstein] retired.” White did not end up a famous actor, but he did land about 100 miles south of Hollywood, in San Diego, where he has lived since 1959. He transferred to the Merrill Lynch office there and would ultimately work for the company for 48 years.

White married his second wife, Mary Jo Donnan, and had three more children. He sent them all to Catholic schools and raised a family that remains close today, celebrating his 100th birthday this spring with a socially distanced driveway get-together.

“Five of my seven children live in California,” he said. “I’m very happy with the way they've all turned out. We all like each other, we haven’t had any major problems, it’s very unique. We’re a very close family, we are really there for each other.”

After a long and happy marriage, full of travel, entertaining, and time with their family, Mary Jo passed away in 2004.

White was looking through an issue of this very magazine one day when he recognized a photo of his old high school sweetheart, Mary Scallon ’38. He got her number and reached out, learning that
she had also been widowed and lived in Northern California.

“They spent many months corresponding by letter and phone calls,” said Jeff White, Leo’s son. “Long story short, they rekindled their Minnesota connection and were ultimately married. They spent about 10 years together, traveling and enjoying their time together, living between La Jolla and Walnut Creek. Sadly, Mary passed away, but we all felt it was divine intervention that they were able to reconnect and spend many happy years together.”

White has great memories of the Christian Brothers who educated him, and has followed their example of relying on his faith to get him through difficult times.

“During the Depression, no one had any money,” he recalled. “But the school went on very well. The Christian Brothers were wonderful teachers, they really were. And I have great respect and admiration for them. They were great models of faith and service.”

These days, he has a favorite saint he turns to for intercession. “I turn to St. Anne if I have a problem,” he said. “She’s the grandmother of Jesus and I figure she’s not as busy as some of the other people
up there. So if I need help, I turn to her, and she’s very good.”