Births, engagements, marriages and vale notices

Vale

Lynette (Lyn) White (Milne, 1949)

Lyn began boarding at PLC Pymble in 1945, where she formed close friendships that she maintained throughout her life. While she often recalled being perpetually hungry, with cake reserved for Sundays only, she spoke fondly of her school years. This may well have contributed to her lifelong love of dessert and chocolate.

Sport was a daily part of boarding life and suited Lyn perfectly. A gifted runner and athlete, she set records that stood for many years after her departure. She won the Penleigh Cup in both 1948 and 1949, and at the 1948 Inter-School Sports at the Sydney Cricket Ground, she ran 100 yards in an impressive 11.2 seconds, a highly competitive time even by today’s standards and achieved without formal training.

Following the death of her father, Lyn’s mother and younger sister, Janet Ham (Milne, 1956), later also a PLC student, returned to Balranald to live with family. This became Lyn’s home during school holidays, with long journeys by train to Hay followed by mail car to Balranald.

In her final year, Lyn served as a school prefect. She played the piano, performed well academically, and while she did not continue playing after school, she retained a deep love of classical music and was a devoted concert-goer throughout her life.

After finishing school in 1949, Lyn was too young to commence Physiotherapy and instead completed a Physical Education course at the University of Melbourne. During this time, she was offered the opportunity to train as a serious athlete, recording times faster than Olympic competitor Winsome Cripps. Ultimately, she chose not to pursue elite athletics, preferring a different path.

Lyn later qualified as a physiotherapist and began her career working with polio patients. After raising her family, she returned to the profession, developing a particular interest in working with people who had amputations.

In 1955, Lyn married Douglas White, a farmer and grazier, and moved to rural Victoria near Torquay. Together they raised three daughters, and Lyn later became a proud grandmother to five grandchildren and great-grandmother to seven great-grandchildren. In her later years, she travelled widely and took great pleasure in her garden.

Lyn lived independently until moving into residential care earlier this year. She passed away peacefully in her sleep.