We lost a modern day Renaissance man when Robert Nathaniel White passed away Sunday, July 21st, 2013. Born July 7, 1947, to Byard and Elnor White, Bob attended Bowerman Elementary School and Reed Middle School before graduating from Hillcrest High School in 1965. After only a semester of college, Bob joined the Army and served a year in Vietnam before returning to SMS, now MSU, to finish his education. His first degree was a B.S. in Finance and Economics, but a year later he completed his second degree, a B.A. in Art Education. Bob would later complete a Master's Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Bob met his wife Connie in 1972 and they were married the following year. A gifted artist himself, Bob began his career as an art teacher at Reed Middle School later transferring to Glendale and Central High Schools. During this time, Bob's design was selected for the Greene County Seal, which we see around town. With the birth of his children Andrew Everett White in 1980 and his daughter Ellen Elizabeth in 1982, Bob decided to use his business background and went into sales. He started with Bill Buckner at Springfield Office Supply, then moving on to Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and ending his career with Yellowbook in 2006 at age 59. Bob never met a stranger and enjoyed his years of swapping stories and telling jokes with the interesting people he came in contact with every day. Bob's inquisitive mind and love for learning were reflected through his reading, his appreciation of music, cinema, and television documentaries. He loved the outdoors spending time camping and floating with family. Bob enjoyed hiking, gardening, ballroom dancing, horseback riding, bicycling, and playing bridge. He enjoyed spending time with family and especially his nieces and nephews who he entertained with his parties and games. Bob had always been fascinated with travel and the arts so the first thing he did upon retirement was to walk all 500 miles across Spain on the Camino de Santiago carrying a backpack and staying at local refugios. Before leaving Springfield, Bob studied the history, the culture and the language of the country in order to absorb the most from the Spanish tradition. Later he would travel to Italy and France with the same intensity. Inspired by the wonderful food, Bob became a gourmet cook and learned to make his own wine. Bob also took advantage of the MSU 62 Program and returned to the art studios for more class work. Bob took up sculpture even doing several pieces out of marble. He also enjoyed drawing and belonged to a local art group which met weekly for figure drawing. Bob's life was shortened by brain cancer leaving his wife Connie, his son Andy and wife Deanna, his daughter Ellen and her husband Vay Vong and many family members, including his brother Barney and wife Cheryl White to mourn his passing. The family would like to thank the many people at Mercy Hospital and Mercy Villa who cared for Bob with such compassion during his illness. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, to the Mercy Villa Care Fund or to a charity of your own choosing. A private burial will be held at Missouri Veteran's Cemetery with a Celebration of Life to be held August 1, 2013.