Paul E. White 1938-2026
By Paso Robles Press · Thu Jun 18 2026
Gene was born on March 16, 1938, in Bayard, New Mexico, to Melvin & Pearl White. He was the oldest of four kids, two sisters, Lorene and Nedra, and one brother, LeeRoy. They lived in Bayard, NM., Henderson, NV., Kingman, AZ. and in 1948 they moved to Renton, Washington, where they built their family home. He attended 1st grade in Henderson, NV. 2nd and 3rd grade in Kingman, AZ., and 4th grade to high school in Renton, Wa. and graduated from Kent High School in 1957. He ran track and played on the basketball team.
In November 1957, he moved to Shell Beach, California, and lived with his uncle and aunt. His uncle was in construction and drywall, that’s where he learned his trade. At night, he worked part-time at the skating rink in Pismo Beach.
“That is where he met the love of his life, Susan”
They married on June 21, 1959, in a little white church in Pismo Beach.
In 1965, Gene got his contractor's license and started White’s Drywall in Grover City. He built his business with great friends like Leon Bartlett and Don Downing, and as the business got bigger in 1974, he moved to Tank Farm Road in San Luis Obispo and hired another great friend, Glenn Strickland from Atascadero. They all became family. He retired the business in 2009 after 44 years.
Gene and Susan have three kids, Paula Wilson and her husband Lee, Pamela King and her husband Bill and Brock White, 7 grandchildren: Scott Wilson and his wife Katy, Ryan King and his wife Alex, Cory Wilson and his with Claire, Kalli Osbourne and her husband Colton, Rochelle Johnson and her husband Beau, Dylan White and his wife Mikenna and Dusty White, 14 great grandchildren, and two very loved dachshunds Suzy and Sophee.
Gene and Susan bought a house in Arroyo Grande in 1970 (Bee Canyon), where they lived for 15 years. They bought several properties in the North County on Cebada Rd., in Atascadero, where they built a beautiful house on the hill, and they now live on San Ramon Rd.
He enjoyed watching the grandkids play soccer, baseball, softball, basketball and raising pigs. He enjoyed gardening, fishing, camping and 14 trips to Shasta Lake on a houseboat and in February, we would go to South Lake Tahoe and snowski.
They bought a lot number in Tahoe and built a beautiful home where they spent fifty percent of their time, and every Thursday he loved to play at the casino tournaments.
Gene bought a 57 Chevy and had it remodeled. They would go to car shows and local parades with the grandkids.
Gene and Susan loved to go on cruises: Alaska, Caribbean, Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Italy, Paris, St. Thomas, Mexico, and to Germany one year with their good friend Gaby Land.
Gene and Susan were married for 67 wonderful years.
What a wonderful life. We will miss him.