Obituary of Trevor White

Trevor White, longtime engineering director and executive at Fraser Shipyards Inc. of Superior, died May 30, 2016, in his home in Duluth at the age of 90. A native of Belfast in Northern Ireland, Trevor was born on Jan. 6, 1926 to James and Eleanor White. Trevor joined the shipyard in 1964, when it was known as Fraser-Nelson Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., and served the company for more than 43 years. During his tenure, he helped plan and oversee the lengthening and conversion of several Great Lakes vessels during an especially active period for the shipyard from the 1970s into the 1990s. He served as director of engineering from 1964 to 1989, when he was promoted to vice president and general manager, a position he held until he opted to leave the company in 2007, at the age of 81. He began his career in naval architecture at the age of 15, working as an apprentice and journeyman draftsman during and after World War II at Belfast's Harland & Wolff shipyard, one of the largest shipyards in the world. After obtaining his bachelor's of science degree in naval architecture from Queens University, Belfast, in 1949, he moved overseas to Montreal, Canada, to work in the drafting department at Canadian Vickers shipyard. In Montreal, he met his future wife, Alberte Nadeau, and the two married on April 7, 1951 in Montreal. Later that year they moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where Trevor took a job with American Shipbuilding Co. as a draftsman and hull engineer. In 1962, he became director of engineering for American Ship. Trevor moved his family to Duluth to start his long career at Fraser Shipyards in February 1964. He was a longtime member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and wrote several technical papers for the society, including one on the conversion of older Great Lakes ships for new purposes. He was also active in the Duluth chapter of the Propeller Club of the United States, a maritime industry organization. A longtime outdoors enthusiast who enjoyed skiing, tennis and hiking, Trevor resumed the sport of running in his early 50s and became well known in local Northland competitive racing circles. He ran more than 250 races ranging from one-milers to marathons from the late 1970s into the early 1990s, often winning first place for his over-50 or over-60 age class. He continued to run and walk into his late 80s and is believed to have logged around 50,000 miles as a runner. He was an equally avid hiker and photographer, enjoying hundreds of long hikes in national parks and wilderness areas throughout the western United States, many with his son, Brian. Trevor was preceded in death by his wife, Alberte, in 2014; a sister, Alison; and a brother, Johnston; both of the United Kingdom, also preceded him in death as did his parents. He is survived by his sons, Trevor Lawrence (Kathy) of Sun City, Ariz., and Brian of Portland, Ore.; two grandchildren, Sara Stevens, of Glendale, Ariz., and Ryan White, of Surprise, Ariz.; two great-grandchildren, Noah and Madelyn, of Glendale, and numerous nephews and nieces in the United Kingdom. CELEBRATION OF LIFE: 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 7, in Glen Avon Presbyterian Church with visitation one hour prior. Arrangements entrusted to Cremation Society of Minnesota, 218-624-5200.