It came as a shock to the entire Buffalo theater and broadcast communities when Tim White died in the early hours of Tuesday, January 13, due to complications from his dialysis treatment. He had recently opened in the MusicalFare production of American Rhapsody, and had been maintaining a full social schedule. Indeed, he seemed to be his own friendly and ebullient self, even to his closest friends.

Tim spent over 26 years in theater and broadcasting. With a mellow and resonant voice, he had a strong background in commercial voiceover, and was highly regarded as an actor and director. He served as the artistic director of the Buffalo Ensemble Theatre Company, during some of that company’s most artistically vital years, and was co-founder and managing partner of BusinessTheatre Works. On radio, he was featured on WECK-AM and the old Q 102.5. He had more than 17 years experience in business theater and was a member of the Broadcast Pioneers of America (Buffalo Chapter). A deeply spiritual person, Tim was an associate minister at the Faith Baptist Missionary Church of Buffalo. He was also a board member of Upstate New York Transplant Services (UNTYS ).

Tim had struggled with serious kidney problems for years. In 2000, he received a kidney transplant, but had been placed back on dialysis recently. Still, to his friends, there was no indication that anything critical was about to happen. The outpouring of grief has been enormous.

Those closest to Tim take comfort in the fact that he went out at the top of his game. He was very well received in American Rhapsody, and was elated over the recent election of Barack Obama. Indeed, he had planned a party to celebrate the inauguration. Tim did not live to see the inauguration, but the party will go on as planned.

A wake is scheduled for Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 11am at Faith Baptist Missionary Church of Buffalo at 66 Humboldt Parkway, to be followed by a noon funeral, and burial between 1 and 1:30pm at Forest Lawn Cemetery on Delaware Avenue.

A memorial in the theater community is likely, sometime next month.

Tim is survived by his siblings and his beloved mother, Emmerline.

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