[1][not specific enough to verify] White attended Harbord Collegiate Institute and the University of Toronto [2] He and his brother, Murray White, owned a community pharmacy in the Borough of York at Jane and Corbet Streets, just north of St. Clair Avenue in what was first called the Township of York (a suburb of the City of Toronto) which was annexed with the Town of Weston.

White was eventually approached by the Ward 3 ratepayers, who encouraged him to run against the unpopular incumbent, although he never thought about entering politics.

White is credited with facilitating "participatory democracy" by involving citizen's groups in the decision making process and supported environmental causes such as cleaning up the Humber River and preserving parkland.

White was re-elected twice; first defeating Jack Mould and then Fergy Brown in 1974 and 1976 before losing to Gayle Christie in 1978.

He returned to politics in 1980, when he was elected to York's Board of Control, serving until his retirement in 1988.