William White, 96, Freeport's first full-time mayor

William White, the first full-time mayor of Freeport who worked to combat racial steering in housing and helped initiatives such as hydroelectric power in the village come into fruition, has died. He was 96.

The longtime mayor. who served in the role for more than a decade from the early 1970s to mid-'80s, was surrounded by family when he died on May 14 in Pinehurst, North Carolina, according to a statement prepared on his family's behalf. White died after getting an infection, said his son, William White Jr.

White Jr. said his father loved Freeport, describing him as someone who treated everyone with respect.

“He would show the maintenance guy in the Village Hall the same respect that he shows the president of the United States,” said his son, who was a former village deputy mayor and a longtime village trustee. “That’s just the way he was.”

Regina Feeney, librarian and archivist at Freeport Memorial Library, said Tuesday that White’s tenure came at a time of growth for the village.

“It was a time of positive change in the community,” she said, adding that the village saw a lot of new businesses come. 

Born in the village in 1927, White graduated from Freeport High School in 1945 and served in the Army Air Corps. In 1950, he graduated from Colgate University in Hamilton, roughly 40 miles from Syracuse.

He was elected to the village board of trustees in 1969 and as mayor in 1973, a role he held until 1985. The year he was elected, White appointed Dorothy Storm as the first woman to serve as village trustee. She succeeded him as mayor in 1985, becoming the village's first female mayor. 

Although he was elected as a part-time mayor, he persuaded Freeport officials to make the role full time in 1981, Newsday records show.

During his tenure, White helped spearhead several initiatives, including efforts to secure federal funds to build senior housing.

He also worked to fight blockbusting, a practice where developers and realtors convinced homeowners to sell their properties or move away because of residents who are often from a different race potentially moving into the area. 

While he was in office, the village had enacted a program that offered commission-free home sales amid white flight.

Another initiative that White implemented as mayor was a federal grant program that helped people to buy renovated homes at below market value.

Feeney said the two programs worked to stabilize the community.

White later served as the Town of Hempstead’s deputy commissioner of planning and economic development. He and his wife retired to North Carolina.

Personally, White was known for his love of family and recreational activities such as boating, fishing, and sailing, according to the family. He was involved in local organizations such as the Freeport Rotary Club and the Freeport Tuna Club.

“We're just blessed to have him as long as we did,” William White Jr. said of his father.

Besides his son, William White Jr., he is survived by his wife of 40 years, Austine White; another son, Geoffrey White, both of Pinehurst, and several grandchildren.

On Wednesday, a wake will be held at the Hungerford & Clark Funeral Home in Freeport, according to the statement. After a religious ceremony on the following day, his ashes will be buried at Greenfield Cemetery in Uniondale.

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Education: Howard University 

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.

Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation;  New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting;  Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news.