Terrence Hagan White passed away peacefully at the age of 94 at his home in Cohasset, MA on September 6, 2025 surrounded by his children. He was a loving husband to his wife of 70 years, Nancy Grueby and devoted father of 7 children. He was born in West Roxbury, MA in 1931 to Patricia and Joseph White, the second of their four children.

Terrence, always known as Terry, grew up in West Roxbury, attended Roxbury Latin School and graduated from Boston Latin School. He was a natural and gifted athlete. During his teens he spent summers at the Poland Springs Resort in Maine as a caddy where he learned to play golf. It was a life-long passion and he swung a golf club with ease into his 94th year.

Terry fell in love with Nancy Grueby, who captivated him from the moment they met. They became life-long partners and best friends. They started a family early, remarkably having 5 children in 5 years. Eventually they added two more children, raising them in Cohasset where they remained for the rest of their lives. Terry delighted in the constant hustle and bustle of his family life while continuing to build his business to support his growing family.

At age 19, along with his younger brother Brendan, Terry started a business, White Lines, later named Safety Lines, which painted the markings on roads and highways in Massachusetts and beyond. Terry could often be seen on-site with his crews in the dark of night producing this public service. He loved his work and the men who worked for him, to whom he was intensely loyal. Always resourceful and innovative, Terry created an early version of thermoplastic, a superior product to paint for the road marking industry, in his own family kitchen.

From an early age, Terry was steeped in politics. His father was president of the Boston City Council. He was instrumental in launching his brother Kevin's political career, first as Secretary of State and later as Mayor of Boston. He worked fiercely to elect Adlai Stevenson and provided first-person advice to Hubert Humphrey during his campaign for President. Terry might have sought political office for himself but responsibilities to his business and large family precluded that. Instead, well-informed about the issues of the day and an avid reader, he gave eloquent speeches on current issues, great historical figures, books or philosophy at the dinner table or gatherings of family and friends throughout his life. His interest in people and his clever, quick wit made time spent with him endearing, captivating, and memorable.

With an active family and business life, Terry sought solace, quiet thinking and personal reflection in nature. He loved long walks along the ocean and alone in the vast Cohasset woods behind his house, invariably coming home with small specimens of bark or leaves to marvel at and adorn a mantlepiece. He was a self-taught and talented artist, drawn to all things with intrinsic beauty.

Terry was steadfast in his Catholic faith. He and his wife could be seen every Sunday with their children for Mass at St. Anthony's Church in Cohasset. He took great pride in the business he built and his ever-expanding multi-generational family. Above all, he adored his wife with whom he reunites at his passing.

Terrence is preceded in death by his wife Nancy and his son Justin White. He is survived by his son Kevin White of Cohasset, Constance Arnold and husband Gregory of Marshfield, Martha Jackson and Ira Jackson of Boston, Kristin Allison and husband Stephen of Center Sandwich, NH, Terrence White of South Yarmouth, Nan Theberge and husband John of Newport, RI, as well as his beloved sister Maureen Mercier of Detroit, MI, his 15 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

A funeral Mass will be held at Saint Anthony's Church in Cohasset on Friday, September 12 at 11:00 am. Visitation hours at McNamara-Sparrell Funeral Home, 1 Summer Street, Cohasset are Friday, September 12 from 9:30 – 10:30 am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Friends of Holly Hill Farm, hollyhillfarm.org .