Cliff Houts White of Nampa, Idaho has passed away in his home on April 18, 2023.

Cliff was born on June 16, 1940, in Ucon, Idaho, to Elva Mary (Gardner) and Theodore Howard White. He was the middle of nine children and grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He held many jobs in his youth. He was a hard-working guy that took on responsibilities to help support his mother and siblings. He held many farm labor jobs, including working in the potato fields, tossing hay bales, helping with a chicken & egg business, and so much more. He was also a newspaper boy, a mechanic, drove a taxi, and worked with a steel company, just to name a few. He carried on being a hardworking and responsible father and spouse through all his years.

Cliff joined the Navy in 1960 and served two terms of active duty spanning six years. During that time, he worked as an electrician, joined Seal Team 3, and fought in the Vietnam War. He also enlisted in the reserve units where he served in the Navy and Air Force for a combined 25 years. He retired from his military service career in 1987 with a rank of Master Sergeant.

Cliff also spent a majority of his career working as a civil servant. He worked at Hill Air Force base in Layton, Utah until 1987 as an electrician and troubleshooting the 105 Thunderbird and the F-16 aircraft. He then relocated to the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWC) in Ridgecrest, California as a logistician for war missiles until 1996.

After retiring from these civil service careers, he moved to Nampa, Idaho where he served nearly seven more years in other service fields as a Canyon County Deputy and also as a Correctional Officer for the Idaho Department of Corrections.

Cliff married Diane R Hutchins in Ogden, Utah on November 24, 1967. To their union came two children, a daughter Mary, and a son Michael. In 1994, their only grandchild, Desirae, was born to Mary and Jeremy Roark. Desirae later brought them two great-grandchildren, Paxton in 2014, and Asher in 2017.

Cliff enjoyed fishing, hunting, playing chess, pinochle and other card games. He played guitar for fun, enjoyed his motorcycles, put together many, many puzzles, and loved to fix anything that needed repairs. He was truly a "fix it guy" and in his youth, he would customize cars and then race them on the streets. He loved spoiling his pets and anyone else's pets for that matter. He was a very gracious, respectful, humorous, compassionate, generous, fun, and humble man. He never expected much of anyone and supported everyone. He wanted to see others succeed and fulfill their goals and desires and would do anything he could to help them along the way. He gave all of himself to everything he did and to everyone he was around. He genuinely enjoyed the company of others and loved being with his friends and family. He brought so much joy to every gathering he participated in, simply appreciating the presence of others, and often seemed to have a sense of calm about him.

Cliff was preceded in death by both parents; five of his siblings: Lois, Marge, Delores, Gayland, and Howard; and his wife of 55 years, Diane, who passed away two months prior to him.

He is survived by his daughter Mary (and spouse Jeremy) Roark; son Michael (and spouse Sheri) White; a granddaughter, Desirae Roark; two great-grandsons, Paxton & Asher; and three siblings: Henry, Fred, and Lorie. (Along with Cliff, his four brothers also all served time in military services.)

Cliff was respected by many, a great mentor, dearly loved, a hero for all, and will be greatly missed.

Please join us at 2:00 PM, Monday May 1, 2023 at the Veterans Cemetery, 10100 Horseshoe Bend Road in Boise for a full military honors funeral service where Cliffs remains will be placed in the wall along with other honored military veterans.