Myrtis Harriet White Obituary
On June 25, 1943, Harriett Stanislaus drove herself to Providence, Rhode Island Hospital to deliver a baby girl that she named after her mother, Myrtis Harriett Harris. At the same time, her father Clemence H. W. Stanislaus was serving on a USN Seabee ship at the island of Leyte. Young Myrtis was mostly raised under her grandmother's care at her home in East Douglas, MA, with her father, her mother and her younger brother, named Stan. Her father died in 1979. Her mother sold their home and lived with Myrtis and her husband for 17 years until she died in 1997. Her brother Stan also predeceased her in August 2025 from complications of dementia. Myrtis attended Douglas elementary school until grade 7. Summers were spent at a large lake house in Webster Lake in Webster, Mass. She was an excellent swimmer and loved going to the beach to earn a tan and suffered the results with some skin cancer, no sunscreen in those days. She was also an excellent student earning all A's, and was a frequent visitor to the town's library, where she received 16 award certificates, for reading 10 books whose titles were listed on the back of each certificate. Reading was her passion. She was also a gifted musician learning to play saxophone, piano and organ.
In grade 7, her family moved to Uxbridge, MA where she enrolled, one week after school began, in September of the year 1955. A math teacher who lived in East Douglas, introduced Myrtis to the students in the math teacher's homeroom, where a young Roger White sat in the last row. He thought, "what a cute girl.". In 10th grade, they started dating and have been a couple until now. In high school, she played the saxophone in band, as well as the piano and organ for many school events. She was involved in many activities, including co-editor of the school weekly newspaper. Myrtis was a high honor student, and was the Valedictorian of the class of 1961 from Uxbridge High School. A former Smith college graduate lived and died in Uxbridge. Her estate set up a trust fund that offers a four-year scholarship to Smith College in Northampton, MA, called the Catherine Sessions Scholarship. Myrtis was the first recipient to receive the full four years, $40, 000 scholarship. She majored in Spanish yet lived in a dorm where they were required to speak only French. She was fluent in both languages. Roger attended the University of Massachusetts, only 7 miles away in Amherst, Mass. Thanks to hitchhiking, Roger visited every weekend except for Myrtis's junior year where she and 23 other students from the Ivy League schools, lived in different guest homes and studied in Madrid. During vacations, the group traveled by bus to all parts of Spain. She and her roommate were able to visit London during Christmas break, and France and Italy at the end of the school year. She travelled to and from Spain on the ocean liner, USS Independence.
Myrtis and Roger became engaged in 1964; they were married in Uxbridge Congregational Church on July 24, 1965. Looking for jobs to teach in Connecticut, they were fortunate enough to be hired to teach at West Rocks Junior High School. They were told they were the first married couple to teach in the same secondary school. She taught Spanish and he taught general science and biology. In 1970, she transferred to Norwalk High School where she taught all levels of Spanish including AP. Although they could not have children, they enjoyed many pets; tropical fish tanks, Siamese cats, an English Cocker Spaniel, two Keeshonds, and her mom's Basset Hound. After Myrtis's dad died in 1979, her mom came to live with them for 17 years until she died in 1997. In 1984, they visited the Cove Marina boat show and Myrtis's mom bought an 18 foot Larson bow rider as a gift to Roger. They named it "Teacher's Pet", which was followed by three larger boats, "Sequel", "Our Independence", and a 35 foot carver named "Our Independence II". Summers were spent, cruising to different ports around the sound and anchoring off the Norwalk Islands mostly at Goose Island. After she, and Roger who had become housemaster at NHS in B house, retired in 2001, they did spend a time traveling and enjoying boating since they no longer had pets. Visited London via Queen Elizabeth II from New York City, they explored western national parks and cities, Hawaii, and Alaska. They purchased a timeshare in Mexico that allowed Myrtis practice speaking Spanish.
In retirement, she continued to work part time. First, as an adjunct professor at Fairfield University, supervising undergraduate students teaching French and Spanish, as well as teaching an introductory methods course. Her next assignment was substituting for an introductory ESOL course at Brian McMahon High School in 2010, which became a true passion for her. Supervisor Roger was one of the Adult Education night managers at the time. Subsequently, a morning program was established at the Nathaniel Ely annex, where she served as an ESOL instructor for five years. Unfortunately, in 2021, the Ad. Ed program was transferred to Stamford, thus ending Myrtis and Roger's involvement with Ad. Ed.
Unfortunately, Myrtis inherited back issues from the Harris side of the family. She had scoliosis and kyphosis, as well as endometriosis. She had a 10-hour back surgery for herniated discs in 1992 with titanium implants; cancer with left breast removed in 2001; both knees replaced in 2018; reversed right shoulder socket replacement in 2022, and cataract surgery in 2023. She was one who could endure pain and not complain. On a Viking Cruise Trip in 2022, she tripped and broke her collarbone and opted to wear a sling until returning to the U.S.
Myrtis died on Friday, the 13th of February 2026, at 11:00 AM, with Roger holding her hand at Waveny Hospice Care. She died from complications of Dementia. She is survived by her loving husband Roger and his 3 brothers, and many cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Roger's niece Suze Gilbert and her husband Michael Gilbert are noted for their generous support in her last year of life.
By her wishes, there will be no calling hours.
