Kevin White, a well-known Northwest broadcast engineer, passed away unexpectedly on July 24. Kevin managed technical operations for Northwest Public Broadcasting (NWPB).
He was responsible for technical operations, transmission systems, and engineering support for Washington State public radio and television.
Kevin was a member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers with CBT and CBNT certifications. He was a member of SBE Chapter 51 in the Tri-Cities in SW Washington.
The following was provided by his family to the Cattermole Funeral Home:
Kevin Alan White was born in Centralia, WA. July 15, 1978, and passed away unexpectedly at home on July 24, 2026.
Kevin was always very passionate whenever he shared his work. Whenever he came to visit his family, he was always working on his computer for work.
Kevin would say that he just always wanted to make sure whatever he did was done right. Even though he didn’t share a lot, we could always tell he had a very strong work ethic, and he was someone we could always count on no matter what he did.
Kevin stated, “Because of Charlie, my loving grandfather, he instilled in me to work smarter, not harder, and complete the job right the first time.”
Kevin received an Associate in Applied Science in Network and Cyber Security from Tacoma Community College. Kevin also received an Associate in Applied Science in Broadcast Audiovisual Production from Bates Technical College.
Kevin held an FCC amateur radio ham general license, call sign KG7LSD.
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” John 11:25-26
Kevin is survived by Timothy Charles White, his son; Julie Burden, his mother, and stepfather, George W. Burden Jr.; half-brother Michael J. Burden; and many extended family and friends.
A graveside service will be held at Alpha Cemetery on Friday, August 14, 2026 at 1 PM.
Alpha Cemetery, Centralia Alpha Rd, Chehalis, WA 98532
A go fund me account has been set up in lieu of flowers. https://gofund.me/c1a277ed1
You can find more pictures and stories about Kevin at: Kevin Alan White Obituary | Cattermole Funeral Home | 1978 – 2026
From Clay Freinwald, Telecommunications Engineer, Northwest Public Broadcasting
Kevin was hired to fill the position previously occupied by John McDaniel in Tri-Cities. His territory was NWPB’s South Central Washington area. This meant he took care of transmission facilities in Walla Walla, Tri-Cities, Yakima, and down along the Columbia.
Although most of this was radio, he did take care of KTNW TV in Tri-Cities as well. He had an office and shop on the WSU Campus in Richland
As Kevin got his feet on the ground, he expanded his efforts in terms of equipment and territory. Kevin was very talented in Computer Networking; because all of NWPB is Networked, his involvement increased, with many of his ideas for improvement being adopted.
He took on NWPB’s extensive Burk Remote Control system, enhancing its capabilities.
Kevin was an ‘Information and knowledge Sponge’….Realizing I had a long career, he often called me to fill in his gaps in knowledge. To his credit, he was never reluctant to ask questions, knowing that learning more was a good thing.
This was not a one-way street. Kevin was always there when anyone needed answers to questions in areas where I knew he was way ahead.
I was on the Hiring Committee when Kevin, who was then working out of state, applied to NWPB; a couple of things stood out: He went to Bates in Tacoma (Local connections are good), He was a “Ham,” demonstrating his interest in Electronic Communications went beyond 8 to 5, and he was an SBE Member (More good indicators)
Kevin would often speak fondly of Mike Scott, one of his instructors at Bates Technical College, someone we both knew.
Kevin was a rare breed; the type comes along only a couple of times in my career.
For those who got to know Kevin via his attendance at SBE Events in PDX and SEA, they could also quickly learn of his passion for what he was doing and the fact that he loved doing it.
Perhaps he knew he wanted more than what NWPB could offer…When a job was posted with a company in Colorado that had a list of qualifications that most would not be able to fill, Kevin saw it as a chance to ‘Move up’ and applied for it, giving me as a reference.
The thought of losing him on our team was not pleasant, however, I knew, that people of his abilities were rare and it would be wrong to not encourage him to step-up
Kevin and I were involved in a number of NWPB Projects….I spoke with him, at length, on July 23th about many of them. He was very much looking forward to coming to the SBE Picnic on Vashon 0n the 25th. where we were going to swap equipment (NWPB being so spread out, utilizes these meet-ups periodically.)
I received a call from Jason Royals (Our Boss) about Noon on the 24th where he informed me that Kevin had passed during the night.
From: Jason Royals, Broadcast Chief Engineer, Northwest Public Broadcasting:
It is with profound sadness that I share the news that Kevin White passed away unexpectedly this morning. His son, Timothy, is with his grandmother, Kevin’s mother.
Many of us are still trying to process this heartbreaking news.
If you had the privilege of knowing Kevin beyond a casual introduction, you knew someone who was exceptionally passionate, intelligent, hardworking, dedicated, and kind. He cared deeply about this organization, the work we do, and the people around him. He was the kind of person who never hesitated to step in, lend a hand, or take on a difficult challenge when it needed to be done.
Kevin’s contributions to NWPB were extraordinary. He worked tirelessly behind the scenes to keep us on the air, often solving problems that few people ever knew existed. His determination, technical expertise, and unwavering commitment saved our broadcasts countless times. As our licensed drone pilot, he also captured beautiful footage that helped tell our stories, always bringing the same level of care and professionalism to every project.
Beyond his many talents, Kevin was a trusted teammate and a good friend to so many of us. His presence made this organization stronger, and his absence will be deeply felt across our entire NWPB family.
Kevin will be greatly missed, and he will not be forgotten.
From: Jon Kasprick, PE, SBE Chapter 16
This is sad news indeed. Kevin was the 2015 recipient of the Arnie Skoog Memorial Scholarship. He has attended many of our events, and his dedication to broadcast engineering has been greatly appreciated during his very short career. The loss to our community and his family is overwhelming.