Reverend Dr. Rue W. White

He was born Aug. 25, 1924, in Green Forest, raised in Blue Eye, Mo., and attended Southwest Missouri State Teachers College on scholarship before joining the U.S. Navy. Lieutenant Commander White retired from a distinguished career as a Naval Officer, where he was among the first American personnel to occupy Japan after WWII, executive officer of the USS Uhlmann (DD-687), and for many years, a safety instructor and inspector of military nuclear programs.

He settled in Albuquerque, received a Master of Divinity and a Doctorate of Ministry in 1983, and for 29 years, was a well-known Deacon at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, assisting with Mass, marriages, baptisms and funerals. Deacon Rue also coordinated a Eucharistic Ministry program for the sick and home-bound. He worked for many years to establish the first Byzantine Rite Catholic Church in Albuquerque, and was a Chevalier of the Patriarchal Order de la Sainte Croix de Jerusalem.

Deacon Rue was a member of the Knights of Columbus and was elected Secretary of the New Mexico Clergy Senate. He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Patricia Ann; his parents Joseph Thomas and Opal Mae; his sister Laveta Mae; and a son, Kieran Bernard.

He is survived by six children: Maureen Hamilton of Santa Fe, N.Mex.; Joseph White of Fairfax, Va.; Shaun White of Englewood, Colo.; David White; and Moira Newquist, both of Albuquerque, N.Mex.; and Melinda Garcia of Santa Fe, N.Mex. Deacon Rue is also survived by eight grandchildren: Maxwell Hamilton; Sacha White, Erin White, Eric White; Kevin White; Laura White; Jamie Garcia; and Greg Garcia.

He was interred on Friday, June 3, alongside his wife and son at the Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, N.Mex.