People across Oakland Unified School District, from students who got to meet him to the Board of Education who got to work with him, were stunned by the sud­den and unexpected death of Deputy Chief of Facilities, Tim White. He died on Tues­day, Nov. 26 of complications from leukemia. He was 63 years old.

“I have never in all my years, and I’ve worked for OUSD since 1982, worked with an individual who champion(ed) for his employ­ees and for the students of Oakland as much as he did,” said Roland Broach, execu­tive director of Custodial and Grounds, who worked for White.

White came back to OUSD for a second time in April of 2018, as leader of the Fa­cilities Department where he oversaw more than 400 em­ployees. White worked for OUSD from 2001 to 2015 as Assistant Superintendent of Facilities and later as Deputy Chief of Facilities. He left in 2015 to serve as execu­tive director of Facilities for the Berkeley schools, work­ing closely with the superin­tendent, Construction Bond Oversight Committee and School Board.

“I am just heartbroken,” said Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “Tim’s passing has hit all of us hard. He was a larger than life per­son with a booming voice and a warm hearty laugh whose dedi­cation to the young people of Oakland was unmistakable.”

“When he returned, and we announced it, employees in fa­cilities were dancing in the hall­ways,” Broach said. “

“Tim was absolutely a cham­pion for environmental sustain­ability in our schools,’” said Board of Education Vice Presi­dent, Jody London. “In 2009, we were the first district to receive matching grants from the state for having green-verified build­ings, and that wouldn’t have happened without Tim. He was willing to try new things and approach each situation think­ing about what’s best for kids. He was always about what’s best for kids. Tim had such a big heart, and he leaves behind an enormous hole for all of us. It’s just devastating for everybody.”

“Tim White was a pillar of the OUSD family,” said Board of Education Member Jumoke Hinton. “He loved his job … His commitment was to the children of Oakland to ensure they had the best. He brought innovation to this district and pushed for the best in everyone. (He led) a purposed-filled life that ensured that women, Black and Latino contractors and businesses were recognized and a part of build­ing this district.”

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