Ben O. White, Jr.

Former College Station Mayor, Ben O. White Jr., passed away on March 3, 2024 after a courageous fight with cancer. Ben was born in Austin, TX to Ben and Irene White, April 20, 1936. He married Shirley Arnecke on January 21, 1956 and they were married for 51 years. They had two children, Debbie Roper and husband Kerry, and David White and wife Darlene; four grandchildren, Amy and husband Mike, Bryan and wife Katie, Kalynn and husband Gary, and Kyle; along with five great-grandchildren, David, Katie, James, Kelly Ann, and Luke. After the death of Shirley, he married Mackie Bobo and they were married for 13 years. With this union, Matthew “Bo” Bobo and wife Tracie, daughter Shell Bobo, along with grandchildren Grace and Jackson joined the family. In addition, he leaves behind his brother, Bob, and seven nieces and nephews along with their spouses. He had a great passion for his family and his greatest joy was being surrounded by them. He was also a man of deep faith, whose commitment to living a life guided by love, compassion, and unwavering trust in God’s plan inspired all who knew him.

After serving in the U.S. Army, Ben started his career as a football coach. He then went on to serve as Executive Director with non-profit organizations, including  Bexar County Medical Society for 27 years, Texas Dental Association and numerous other national, state, and local organizations. Ben began his community service as mayor of Garden Ridge, TX.  After retiring from his career, he moved to College Station, TX in 2000 and became involved with the City of College Station, serving on various city committees and being elected to the College Station city council in 2005. He was elected as mayor in 2007. Following his term as mayor, he became a volunteer for the College Station Fire Department for two years. For the past 10 years, he served as the volunteer coordinator for the Police Department and led the creation of VEST (Volunteer Emergency Support Team).

The desire to move to College Station was due largely to Ben’s love for Aggie sports and the desire to move to a smaller college town. Needless to say, Ben was an avid Texas Aggie fan, having been a season ticket holder for football, men and women basketball, volleyball, and baseball for almost 50 years. Family and friends shared many special memories tailgating and attending Aggie sporting events.

Pallbearers will be Kerry Roper, Bryan Roper, Kyle White, Mike Maginness, Gary Smith, Matthew “Bo” Bobo. Honorary pallbearers will be officers from the College Station Police Department.  

A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Erin Fleener and her team for the wonderful care, love, hope, and encouragement she gave to Ben in the last couple of years. The family would also like to thank the College Station Police Department and the College Station Fire Department for their commitment to the community which Ben supported through his volunteer service.