Patricia White

Fun-loving as well as easy-going, Patricia White was a genuine person through and through. A devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, she savored the time she spent with her growing family over the years. Patricia lived her life to the fullest by working hard to provide for the family she loved. Generous, reliable, and humble, she will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

The 1940s were characterized by WWII. By 1948, the first affordable prefab homes were being built in the U.S. to solve the growing need of the baby boomers. That same year, Philip and Rita Candela welcomed home their newborn daughter, Patricia, on July 20th in Detroit, Michigan. Born the fifth of twelve children, her childhood was filled with many happy and memorable moments.

Growing up, Patricia’s parents instilled in her the importance of family. Her father worked as a milkman, owned a local mobile home park, and also worked in the tool and die trade. Her mother was a devoted homemaker. From a young age, Patricia often helped to take care of her siblings after school, but she also loved playing hopscotch and jumping rope. As their family grew in size, it was common for each of the children to pitch in around the house to support their growing needs. When it came time for relaxation, they enjoyed boating and camping vacations as a family. Although Patricia was introverted and mostly kept to herself in school, she received high grades and always made her family proud. After graduating from St. David’s Catholic School in downtown Detroit, she set off for the world of work.

While working as a secretary for AAA, she met Robert White, the man who would steal her heart forever! He was working there as a computer network technician and for them, it was love at first sight. As a young couple, they enjoyed frequenting the local dance halls and bowling alleys. Both born in large families, they shared many commonalities. Happy and eager to spend the rest of their lives together, they joined in marriage on September 15, 1973 with a large gathering of family and friends for the romantic ceremony. Together they welcomed home seven wonderful children; Colleen, Kathleen, Lisa, Tracy, Robert, Thomas, and Emily. They settled down in Westland away from the city to raise their family making many lasting memories.

Patricia was professionally derailed from her career once Kathleen was born. Although she loved to be contributing to the family income, she knew she was needed in the home and enjoyed her role as a full-time mother. Always active and on the go, she spent these years involved with many of the activities in the Westland and Garden City Schools. As her children grew, she worked as a paraprofessional, teacher’s aide, and lunch supervisor. Any amount of time she was around her kids or the kids of others, her heart was content. Patricia took great pride in her responsibilities and accomplishments of raising such well-rounded children. As a family, they enjoyed countless RV camping trips to Midland each summer often reserving their spot at the Four Seasons Valley Plaza and Resort. They took in some fishing, as well as relaxing with one another and visiting the hot tub. Patricia savored all the sunshine she could get during these trips as well as several other vacations over the years. During the colder months, she enjoyed bowling and going out to the movies. In more recent years, she was fond of feeding Oreos to the squirrels and completing crossword puzzles. Patricia also enjoyed collecting and displaying glass birds, yet any amount of time she was with her family was her greatest reward.

A loving woman, Patricia wanted nothing less than the best for her children and grandchildren. She modeled unconditional acceptance toward others and was an example of treating everyone with respect and grace. A firm believer in the support of faith and family, she trusted that her family would remain close-knit even during tough times and misunderstandings. She and Robert were endearing sweethearts who were sure to never hold grudges or take one another for granted. They shared a very special kind of love right up until he passed in 2015. Loyal and faithful to one another, his memory never left her side over the years. Patricia was an incredible role model to her family and shared a deep love of all people. There is no doubt that her endless wisdom and sense of humor will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by her many special friends and loved ones.

Patricia White, age 72, of Westland, Michigan passed away on December 26, 2020. She was the beloved wife of her late husband, Robert of 47 years; loving mother of Colleen (Bryen) Gatica, Kathleen (Timothy) Sullivan, Lisa (James) Grondy, Tracy (Marcus) Samland, Robert ( Bridget) White, Thomas White, and Emily White; dear grandmother of Tori (Joshua) Spano, Allie Gatica, Kendall Gatica, Lorenzo Gatica, Madison Sullivan, Isabelle Sullivan, Taylor Grondy, Hope Grondy, Savanah Grondy, Raechell Grondy, James Grondy II, and Ronald Samland II; great grandmother of Evalynn Spano, Annabelle Spano, Gabriel Spano, Mason Menendez, Nora Menendez, Vivian Summers, and Lucas Springborn; sister of Marcy Maher, Dianne (Kenneth) Miller, Anthony (Bernadette) Candela, Cristine Cronin, Philip Candela, Joann Rypkowski, Mary Candela, Victor (Peggy) Candela, Michael (Gayle) Candela, Stephen (Jennifer) Candela, Laura Candela-Dinezio. She was preceded in death by her parents, Philip and Rita Candela.