Stephanie Elene White

Stephanie Elene White was born on December 3rd, 1989, in Santa Ana, CA, to John and Lucy White. She moved to Tucson, AZ, with her family in 1998. She was 36 years old when she passed away at home on October 2nd, 2026. As a child, her favorite sports were swimming and soccer. She also played the viola and the guitar. She created exceptionally beautiful artwork. In high school, she participated in Mock Trial and won Courtroom Artist of the Year. She took classes in Celtic music and dancing and had signed up to study Capoeira.

After graduating from University High School, she attended the University of Arizona for three semesters majoring in Visual Arts. After leaving U of A, she had many different jobs - lifeguard, disk jockey, teacher assistant for special education and preschool, harvesting cranberries in Oregon, pizza shop, barista, and delivered for DoorDash and Grubhub. Recently, she earned a certificate in Therapeutic Massage. At the time of her death, she was working as a massage therapist. She also travelled to Peru and China.

She had a special place in her heart for the homeless in Tucson, providing water, food, and air-conditioned housing during the hot summer months as well as providing warm clothing and blankets in the winter. She enjoyed preparing meals made entirely from desert plants. She loved animals - when she was 10, all that she wanted for her birthday was a lizard. She got Spikey and later adopted Thorny, both bearded dragons. We knew they were a male and female, but never could figure out which was which. She was always looking out for desert animals. She volunteered at Tucson Wildlife Center and also volunteered at the Humane Society. She had two rescue cats, Sophie and Jasper, who she loved dearly. They will now live with her parents and their dog, Santo.

She is survived by her parents, her sisters, Catherine Hahn (David Burden) and Patricia Leong (Paul Leong), her brother, John M. White, her niece, Ivy Hahn, and Ivy's son, Ozziel Delgadillo Hahn, and nephews, Levi Hahn, Patrick Leong, and Parker Leong.

Stephanie was a gentle soul - friendly, helpful, creative, and pleasant. She was a joy to know and be around. She will be greatly missed.

Her memorial will be held on November 22nd, 2026, at 2:00pm:

Saguaro Christian Church

8302 E. Broadway Blvd

Tucson, AZ 85710