Cpl. Roderick "Rory" Joseph White, of Lombard, Illinois, passed away on July 16, 2026, in Glendale Heights, Illinois, after a brief illness. Born in River Forest, Illinois, on October 9, 1981, Rory graduated from Marine Corps boot camp at MCRD San Diego on August 2, 2002, and proudly served as an infantry Marine in the USMC Reserves with Fox Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2004, the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, including Fox Company, was mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Rory and his fellow Marines, operating from Forward Operating Base St. Michael, worked to root out insurgents and stabilize the region commonly known as the "Triangle of Death." After his service, he was a proud member of the IUEC Elevator Constructors Local 2 Chicago, where he loved being part of the Otis high-rise team and seeing his beloved city of Chicago from the highest heights.
"Known to his family and friends as Rory, he was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing, especially with his sons, and spent many happy summers at his grandparents' lake cabin in Michigan. He was the proudest and loudest person on the sidelines cheering on his two boys, Finn and Declan, while they played sports. Rory is survived by his loving wife Heather, his sons, his parents Joseph and Susan, and his siblings Gregory and Isabel, Margaret, Michael, James, Mary, and Rose. He will be remembered for his gentle heart, big smile, and epic hugs. As his obituary noted: "In sorrow we must go, but not in despair." — Aragorn, The Lord of the Rings."
"They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old."
— Laurence Binyon