Junie White, a former Gaffney High School football star and mayor of Spartanburg, South Carolina, passed away on Monday, September 1, 2025, at the age of 87, leaving his longtime wife and family heartbroken.
According to his family member, Junie White died of natural causes on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family.
Junie White, who served as mayor of Spartanburg, South Carolina, from 2009 to 2011, won the hearts of many with his remarkable contributions to the community. He was famously known as “a man of the people.“
In addition to being an amazing athlete and mayor, Junie White was also a devoted husband to his longtime wife, Irene Segal White.
The couple recently celebrated their 64th marriage anniversary on May 13, 2025, before Junie’s demise.
Furthermore, the Gaffney native, Junie White, first met his wife, Irene Segal, a native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in Virginia Beach, VA, where Junie was stationed in the Navy.
It didn’t take Junie White to fall in love with Irene. The couple kept in touch through mail and eventually tied the knot on May 13, 1961, in Montreal, Canada, Irene’s native land.
They further moved to Gaffney and later to Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Junie White often expressed his love and appreciation for his longtime wife, Irene White, who stood by his side through all his good and bad times.
Irene also never misses a chance to express her love for her husband.
While not much is known about Irene’s professional life, her social media displays that she attended Baron Byng High School and later graduated from the University of South Carolina Upstate.
Similarly, Irene White worked as a healthcare professional at Spartanburg Regional Hospital.
Late Junie White and His Longtime Wife, Irene, Raised Four Successful Children
After moving to Spartanburg, South Carolina, Junie White and his longtime wife, Irene Segal White, proudly raised four children.
They welcomed three daughters, named Melissa, Adrienne, and Brenda, and only son, Alan White.
Their daughter, Andrienne White, took to her Facebook to express her sorrow at losing her beloved father and wrote:
“Thank you, Dad. Will never forget the laughs, and I will try to remember the lessons. I especially love how your sweet eyes never lost their twinkle.”
Adrienne White
Although very little information is available about the professional lives of their three children, Brenda, Adrienne, and Alan, their daughter, Melissa White, is excelling in her career as an HR professional.
Melissa White has been serving as a People Operations Director at RedSail Technologies in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Prior to that, she worked as an associate VP of HR at LifeStream Behavioral Center, Inc. in Leesburg, Florida, for two years. Melissa also worked as a regional HR manager at SPX Flow, Inc., and an HR Manager at GE Energy Connections.
Similarly, she served as a board member of Hands On Nashville for nearly four years, as Area HR Manager of Lowe’s Home Improvement for eight years, and as HR representative of Black & Decker for four years.
Melissa White earned her BS in Business Administration from Winthrop University in 1998.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Late Junie White was born in Gaffney to a family of sharecroppers.
- He went on to serve his country in the US Navy from 1957 to 1961.
- Junie owned and operated an Esso service station, later known as Exxon, in Spartanburg County.
