Losing my mom to CJD in April of 2022 fundamentally changed me as a person. In addition to being a loss that I still feel everyday, it destabilized my family in a way that highlighted the degree to which my mom had been the glue that held us together. My dad soldiered on for a while, and was an amazing host for my wedding in the fall of 2024, he quickly passed away himself in January of 2025. He had health issues but, whatever those health issues were, I think the real problem was that he didn't want to go on without my mom.
So four years after losing my mom, there are just the three of us (my two sisters and myself) left. Fortunately, I see reminders of my mom all over the place: In the way my older sister parents her children, in the way my younger sister contemplates and questions things, in orange flowers, in tapas for dinner, in silly post-it notes, and in James Taylor songs. Our mom was one in a million and was taken from us by a one in a million disease. Participating in Strides for CJD gives me the opportunity to raise and donate money to research that could possibly save another family from the same fate.
I'm attaching my mom's obituary below so we can all remember the amazing person we were lucky enough to know. Thanks for reading! Anne
Mrs. Elizabeth Caldwell White, 72, of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully Wednesday, April 13, 2022, in her home, surrounded by family. Born August 16, 1949, in Lynchburg, Virginia, Elizabeth was the daughter of the late Frank B. Caldwell and Eleanor N. Caldwell. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her sister in 2018, Eleanor C. Sherwyn.
Elizabeth grew up in Leesburg, Virginia and was a graduate of the Loudoun County High School Class of 1967. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in three years from Virginia Tech in 1970 and an Advanced Certificate in Accounting from the University of Virginia.
Elizabeth married Carter T. White of Leesburg, Virginia in 1970, and the couple celebrated 51 years of marriage in September of 2021.
Elizabeth was devoted to her family, friends, and her church and local communities. She dedicated much of her life to raising her children and, more recently, thrilled in spending as much time as she could with her grandchildren. She will be remembered as an amazing wife, mother, and grandmother; a thoughtful and caring friend; and a bright light in the lives of many.
Elizabeth was witty, compassionate, humble, generous, hilarious, and one of a kind. She was the holder of numerous family awards, trophies, and certificates for the “Best Mom Ever” including the coveted Hero of the House statuette.
She was a long-time member of the Church of the Resurrection in Alexandria, Virginia and, more recently, an active member of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. Elizabeth was a committed community volunteer and recently helped with the creation of a resource library at Waynesboro New Hope Shelter. She had a lifelong love of reading and installed a Little Free Library (Copper Top Book Stop) in her front yard on Forest Hill Road in Waynesboro to share her enthusiasm for literature with others in the community.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her three daughters, Mary Harsh (R. Matt) of Smithsburg, Maryland, Anne White (Chris) of Charleston, South Carolina, and Betsy White of Somerville, Massachusetts; her nephew, Chris Sherwyn (Flavia); and her beloved grandchildren, Chesley and Eli Harsh.