Name:
Charles Carman White 
Location served:
Chatham  
Years in Practice:
1925 to 1963
Area of Specialization:
Family Physician and Surgeon  

Biography:

Dr. Charles Carman White was born in Raleigh Township (Chatham-Kent), Ontario on the 12th of May 1898.   Dr. White was the 6th of 8 children born to Sylvester Franklin White and the former Hannah Manning.   His parents were farmers at Lot 18 on the 10th Concession of Raleigh Township and his siblings were; Frank Clinton White, Henry “Harry” Manning White, LeRoy Clifford White, Morley DeWitt White, Frederick Wilson White, Albert “Willard” McCallum White and Grace Wilhelmina White.  Dr. White graduated from Chatham Collegiate Institute.

Dr. White enlisted during WWI in the Royal Flying Corps on the 13th of May, 1918.   He was stationed at the Jesse Ketchum School in Toronto.  He was given an extended leave of absence on the 4th of December, 1918 and he was discharged on the 1st of March, 1919 due to demobilization.

After the death of his father in 1917, Dr. White’s mother left the farm and moved to 78 West Street in Chatham.  According to the 1921 census, Dr. White resided with his mother and he was a medical student.   Dr. White attended The University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and graduated M.B. in 1924.  Dr. White interned at St. Vincent Hospital in Toledo.  In 1925, Dr. White opened his first medical practice in Bettsville, Ohio.

On the 5th of September, 1925 he married Margaret “Iniz” Roach in Chatham.  Mrs. White was born in Chatham on the 29th of March, 1894.  She was the 4th of 5 children born to Tunis Washington Roach and the former Margaret Elizabeth Scott.  Her father was a general laborer and her siblings were; Tunis “Manson” Roach, Melville Harold Roach, Flossie May Roach and Harry Roach.  According to the 1911 census the Roach family resided at 167 Adelaide Street.  Mrs. White graduated from the Chatham Public General Hospital School of Nursing in 1919 and later she graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a degree in Public Health.  Mrs. White worked in Stratford for a number of years for the Victorian Order of Nurses.

Dr. and Mrs. White had two sons, Gordon Stuart White who was born on the 5th of March, 1928 and Hubert Carman White who was born in Chatham on the 6th of June, 1932.

Dr. White remained in Ohio for three years, before returning to Chatham to establish a family medicine practice. At the beginning of his medical career in Chatham, Dr. White instructed at Chatham’s two hospital nursing schools on a variety of subjects.  Dr. White was named a coroner for Kent County in October of 1938 and in December of 1943, Dr. White was designated as the M.O.H. for the City of Chatham.

Dr. White served the President of the Kent County Medical Society in 1938. He was also heavily involved in the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). In 1941, Dr. White was elected as a Councillor to the OMA.  He served as Chairman of Council for the Ontario Medical Association from 1945-1946. The following year, Dr. White was the President-Elect of the OMA, and in the 1947-1948 term, he was named President of the OMA. In addition, he served a term as Chief of Staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital.  According to the 1941 Shepherds City of Chatham Business Directory, Dr. White’s office was located in the Hicks Building at “Memorial Square”.

Mrs. White was a member of Park Street United Church and she was active with the Women’s Missionary Society.  She belonged to the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario and she served on the Chatham Board of the Victorian Order of Nurses.  Mrs. White belonged to the Heather Society of the Public General Hospital.   She served as the President from 1950 until 1952.  She also belonged to the Major George Smith Chapter of the I.O.D.E. and the Canadian Club.

Dr. White published an article entitled, “Spinal Anaesthesia In Obstetrics” in the November 1953 edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (Volume 69).

In early 1960, Dr. and Mrs. White resided at 64 Inshes Avenue (Chatham).

Tragically, on the 5th of May, 1963 Dr. and Mrs. White were involved in a car accident at the intersection of the 6th Concession and Highway 40, north of Chatham.  Mrs. White died at the scene of the collision and Dr. White died at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario on the 15th of May, 1963, as a result of his injuries.  Dr. and Mrs. White were buried at Maple Leaf Cemetery in Chatham.

*Dr. Charles Carman White also appears on the ‘Gathering Our Heroes’ website.

**Dr. White’s son, Dr. Hubert Carmen White is also featured on the Chatham-Kent Physician Tribute website.

***Dr. White’s brother Dr. Albert Willard McCallum White graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine in 1926. He is not known to have practiced medicine in Chatham-Kent.  Dr. White’s brother Frederick Wilson White served oversea’s during WWI.  Corporal Frederick W. White died at the Westminster Hospital in London, Ontario on the 20th of February 1933.  His death was attributed to his service oversea’s and he was buried at Maitland Cemetery in Goderich, Ontario.  

****Mrs. White’s brother, Private Harry Roach was killed in action during WWI on the 15th of September, 1916.  His body was never recovered due to heavy shelling but his name was included at the Vimy Memorial.  An extensive write-up about Private Harry Roach appears on the Gathering Our Heroes website.