In addition to her successful job in healthcare, Darcy White had a side gig as a musical director for several theaters in Portland, frequently working on two productions at once. White passed away on December 4. Lung cancer was the cause of death.
White, the youngest of four children, grew up in Portland. Her family had immigrated from Canada to Portland. Her father, Max, ran a tour company named Churchill Tours, while her mother, Freda, was a stay-at-home mom.
Archive of the Darcy White Family
The family placed a high value on music. According to White’s sister Cherie Shaver, we were taught that family, church, and music were the three most important things in life. When we were old enough to comprehend, we were all told that we would all take piano lessons for ten years, whether we wanted to or not.
From the age of four, White had a talent for playing the piano. Shaver claimed that Darcy had a special talent for it from a young age. Her ear was fine. She had bigger hands. She had a slightly easier life than the rest of us because she could reach an octave and a half. However, she also possessed the remarkable talent of sight reading nearly everything that was presented to her. And the music grew more intricate as she grew older. There were things she could do that the rest of us couldn’t.
White performed piano in the pit orchestra for school musicals while attending Lincoln High School and Ainsworth Elementary.
After being admitted to the University of Washington’s music program, White left after a few semesters due to the overwhelming size of the institution.
Archive of the Darcy White Family
While she was deciding what she wanted to do with her life, she was hired to work in the lingerie department at Nordstrom. At last, she made the decision to become a nurse. She received her degree from Linfield University’s nursing school. White chose not to pursue a career in obstetrics or as a floor nurse during his school rotation. She ultimately decided to pursue a career as a psychiatric nurse.
White kept playing music as she went to school and started her nursing career. According to Shaver, she became the musical director of a local church after making a connection with them.
She quickly started working in a children’s theater. She was the music director for Northwest Children’s Theater and School and Oregon Children’s Theater. White served as the music director at Lakewood Center for the Arts in addition to her positions at Broadway Rose Theatre Company and Stumptown Stages.
The music is under the direction of music directors. They instruct the children. Shaver stated that they rehearse with the children. They ensure that children have the songs committed to memory. If there were duets or group singing, they would ensure that everyone was on key and following the instructions. They also establish practice routines and distribute the music.
She was pleased with the children she had met. She saw them change from feeling anxious to perform on stage to receiving a thunderous wave of applause when they finished. She truly wanted them to gain confidence after seeing how well they were doing and how happy they were with themselves.
Archive of the Darcy White Family
According to Jennifer Goldsmith, a friend and coworker in musical theater, she was unique in her grace, passion, and empathy. She wanted to provide a creative and secure environment. She was an extremely sympathetic person because of her experience as a psychiatric nurse. As a professional who was able to read a room better than others, she wanted to make sure that everyone understood their roles and responsibilities. Working with Darcy was warm, thrilling, and a lot of fun.
After working as a psychiatric nurse for some time, she decided she wanted to work in the field of teenage drug and rehab because her experience in musical theater had introduced her to working with youngsters. According to Shaver, she was always able to relate to teenagers. She witnessed a lot of things that were going on in their lives and families, which inspired her to keep going in that direction. She had struggled with bullying at Ainsworth Elementary, and I believe she was able to relate to some of the teenagers a little more than others because of that.
White finally secured employment with Providence Health Systems, rising to the rank of senior manager of behavioral health network and provider relations. She was highly concerned about ensuring that everyone, regardless of financial situation, had access to health care. Shaver stated that she had a deep belief in that.
Archive of the Darcy White Family
Shaver gave her everything to the theater and her job. She would get up, go to the gym, work, rehearse, return home, go to bed, and repeat the process the next day. According to Shaver, she didn’t really leave much time for anything else because she was working two shows and a full-time job.
White’s wit and tenderness will live on in her memory. She was one of those individuals who attracted a lot of attention when she entered a place. Shaver claimed that even though the room was full of strangers, she was conversing with them as if they were longtime friends and they were frequently laughing. She gave you the impression that you were the most important person in the conversation.
Darcy’s brother Craig White, sisters Cherie Shaver and Sam Earle, and several nieces and nephews survive her. The Broadway Rose Theatre will host her memorial ceremony on January 27.
Archive of the Darcy White Family
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