John K. White

Rev. Dr. John K. White, age 81, a resident of Windsor Park in Carol Stream, IL, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 22, 2026. He was born October 12, 1945 in Omaha, Nebraska to Kenneth & Gertrude White. His family moved to Springfield, Missouri in 1948 when his father was reassigned to help manage the two Ash Grove Cement plants in Springfield. His parents stayed in the same house until they passed away in 1993.

John graduated from Parkview High School in Springfield, Missouri in 1963. He went on to join the Delta Chi fraternity at the University of Kansas, graduating in 1967. After college, while serving as Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) staff in San Bernardino, California, John met Joyce Peterson who was also on staff and they were married on February 22, 1969.

Prior to the wedding John was called up to serve in Vietnam on April 1, 1968. John was commissioned as a field artillery officer and served in the Army until the end of 1970, when he was honorably discharged after receiving a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat. The time he spent in the service cemented his desire to serve Jesus with the rest of his life in full time ministry.

John was a beloved husband and father who dedicated his entire adult life to seeing others experience God's love and grace in their lives. As a minister for over four decades, John earned a Masters of Divinity from Denver Seminary and was ordained in 1974, earned a Doctor of Ministry from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1990, and held ministry positions with Cru, First Baptist Church (Pekin, IL), Wildwood Baptist Church (East Moline, IL), Mainstay Ministries (Carol Stream, IL), and Wheaton Bible Church (Wheaton, IL).

Although John enjoyed playing his trumpet as a youngster, and the guitar and piano as he got a bit older, he loved pretty much every sport: skiing, tennis, softball, swimming, football, walking, basketball. But his true love was golf. Hours on the course with his son and son-in-law, as well as good friends from church, gave John a chance to spend time with the people he cared about, asking good questions and lending a listening ear as they made their way through the round.

John also deeply loved his family, cherishing time spent around the dinner table, welcoming newcomers to their home, family vacations and late nights playing Liverpool Rummy while enjoying Joyce's apple pie and making homemade popcorn on the stove. With his trademark easy laughter and kind smile, John made everyone feel welcome and at ease as if they, too, were part of the family even if he had just met them.

When going through John’s possessions at the end of his life, what he chose to keep close, even with a mind that was failing him, reveals his heart: love God, love people. His room was full of marked-up Bibles, devotional journals, drawers of sermon notes, long lists of people to pray for, scripture verses written out on cards, reminders to send cards to people, and pictures of loved ones from every decade of his life.

John and Joyce chose Matthew 6:33 as their joint life verse: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Looking back on their lives, we can see how intentionally they sought to put God’s kingdom first, even through life’s valleys. Their faith and the choices they made have left a lasting example for their family and so many others.

He is survived by his children Jennifer (Patric) Knaak & Jason (Jan) White; his grandsons Parker Knaak & Brody White.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Joyce; his parents Kenneth and Gertrude White, and his brother Thomas White.

A visitation will be held at Wheaton Bible Church, 27W500 North Ave., West Chicago, IL 60185, on December 5, 2026 from 10:00 until the time of the funeral service at 11:00. There will be a reception in the gym at 12:00 following the service. Interment with military honors will take place at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois on December 7, 2026 at 10:00 am.

Memorial gifts may be directed to Wheaton Bible Church.

Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com. For more information, please call Hultgren Funeral Home at 630-668-0027.