July 21, 1934 – November 10, 2018 Muriel White, 84, of Albany passed away on Saturday, November 10, at Hospice House. She was born to Andrew and Peggy Raeper in Aberdeen, Scotland, and she received all of her early education there. She trained as a nurse at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, specializing in midwifery, and over the course of many years in the profession she delivered or assisted in the delivery of many hundreds of newborns.
She continued her career as a midwife at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, England, where she met her future husband Jim when he was an undergraduate at the university. Together they emigrated in 1959 to Vancouver, British Columbia, where Muriel continued her midwifery practice in association with Vancouver General Hospital. She and her husband subsequently moved to Boston when Jim became a graduate student at M.I.T., and with midwifery becoming less widely practiced Muriel took a nursing position in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.
At MGH she worked with several worldclass surgeons and with one of them she earned the privilege of assisting in the first successful re-attachment of a severed human hand. The move to Oregon in 1971 brought a slower tempo along with opportunities for a number of volunteer activities that included Muriel’s participation in efforts to disseminate information about the prevention and health impact of AIDS as well as a stint in the Peace Corps that took her to Jamaica. Throughout this time, Muriel maintained close ties with her Aberdeen family and returned quite frequently to Scotland for visits to family and friends.
She was a staunch advocate for Scotland’s independence from England and was never hesitant about expressing this view. She enjoyed a busy social life in Albany, preferring the companionship of like-minded ladies who shared common interests. One of her groups that formalized this relationship was the Tea Sippers Club.
Throughout her life Muriel’s first concern was always for others, and her caring spirit earned her the love and respect of all those who came in contact with her. She will be missed by the many who knew her warmth and her generous personality. Muriel is survived by her daughters Julie White and Amy Blake, by her three grandchildren Andrew, Logan and Annie, and by Scottish niece Janice and nephew Graham.
She was predeceased by her brother Leslie and sister-in-law Hazel. Online condolences may be left at www. fisherfuneralhome.com.
Contributions may be made to Valley Aids Information Network (VAIN) valleyaidsinfo.org or Aidsunited.org.
If you found any mistakes, or you would like to add/remove to this obituary, please contact us by email: info@obituary.memorial. We never ask money for this.
