Dr. Robert White, a renowned neurologist and bioethics consultant to Pope John Paul II, died September 16 at his home in Geneva Township. He was 84.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated Sunday, October 3, 2010, 3:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Peace Parish, Shaker Boulevard & E. 126th Street in Cleveland.
Born in Duluth, Minn., Dr. White earned his medical degree from Harvard University and worked at Mayo Clinic before coming to Cleveland in 1961 to work at what was then Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital.
Dr. White is known for founding the neurology department and a brain research laboratory at the hospital, which later became MetroHealth Medical Center. Dr. White taught neurosurgery at Case Western Reserve University and co-chaired the neurology department.
Among his numerous honors, Dr. White was given the Humanitarian Award of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons in 1997.
An outspoken advocate for the right to life for people of all ages, he attended Mass daily and was a respected speaker and writer.
In 1981, Dr. White joined the medical team who treated Pope John Paul II after he was shot. He continued to serve the pope as an advisor on bioethics.
Dr. White retired in 1998 from his medical practice but continued to write bioethics articles in local and national media.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia; 10 children and 20 grandchildren and his brother.
(Used with permission from The Catholic Universe Bulletin Corp.)