A Jacksonville resident has been chosen to posthumously join the Senior Illinoisan Hall of Fame.
The Illinois Department on Aging announced this morning that Ernest “Wayne” White of Jacksonville has been selected as the 2022 Senior Illinoisan Hall of Fame inductee in the labor force category.
Ernest “Wayne” White passed away on Monday at the age of 73 in Jacksonville. White worked for Andrews Lumber Company between 1966 and 1985 when he purchased the truss manufacturing division of Andrews and renamed it Alco-White.
According to the Department of Aging’s announcement, White was selected following the review of a record-setting number of nominations for the Senior Illinoisan Hall of Fame.
IDOA Director Paula Basta said in the announcement that “the impact White made on the Jacksonville area community will be felt for many years to come, beyond his hometown, retirement, and his lifetime.”
She says White’s 49-year career in the engineering and construction industries, including as the owner-operator of Alco White, Inc., hugely impacted the Jacksonville-area labor force, their skills, knowledge, and well-being in the community.
Despite construction being seasonal in nature, White maintained full-time, year-round employees, whom he led and managed with integrity and a commitment to continuing education.
Many former Alco White, Inc. employees kept in contact with White until his passing on Monday, October 3, and join with his family to share memories and gratitude for White’s contributions to the Jacksonville-area labor force over a span of five decades.
White also is being recognized for donating his time, manual labor, materials, and knowledge to projects for the Jacksonville Jaycees, the Chamber of Commerce, the Springfield Area Home Builders Association, the Kiwanis Club, the Rotary Club, and Habitat for Humanities organizations within his operating area.
According to the announcement, White’s charitable contributions were a deciding factor in his selection for the Senior Illinoisan Hall of Fame.
White is one of five Illinoisans selected for this year’s Senior Hall of Fame inductees.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 am Friday, October 7, 2022, at the Buchanan & Cody Funeral Home in Jacksonville. The family will greet friends from 4-6 pm Thursday, October 6, 2022, at the funeral home.