Wanda Jane Rayburn White, 94, a 55-year resident of Columbus, Ohio, entered into the arms of her savior on March 13, 2025, at her youngest son’s house in Travelers Rest, South Carolina where she had resided with Richard and his wife Lisa for seven months.
Wanda Jane was born on July 21st, 1930 in South Shore, Kentucky. She was the daughter of the late William “Bill” and Gilla Ann “Pearl” Dye Rayburn, both from Kentucky. The family moved to Southern Ohio when Wanda was six weeks old.
She was the granddaughter of the late Etta Jane and Henry Chesley Rayburn, originally from Kentucky, later moving to Friendship, Ohio, and Mildred (Ma) Dye (whom she adored), of Jenkins, Kentucky, and later Portsmouth, Ohio.
Wanda is preceded in death by her husband, Richard Harold White, of Kentucky, who passed on February 18, 2006.
She was also preceded in death by her beloved brother, Bill Rayburn, who married and raised his children in Yukon, Oklahoma; her close sisters, Pauline Watts, of Portsmouth, Ohio, and Shirley Rayburn Weiler (of Portsmouth and Cincinnati), and her little sister, Delores Rayburn, who passed away at age 14 in Portsmouth, Ohio.
She is also preceded in death by her oldest son, Daniel Lee Coriell, and her daughter, Beverly Sue Coriell Bond, whose deaths were a great sorrow, loss, and hardship for her.
She was employed for years at the job-placement firm Snelling and Snelling in Columbus, Ohio. She also worked in her younger years at the telephone company in Portsmouth, Ohio. Additionally, she sold Sarah Coventry jewelry as her children were growing up.
She is survived by her youngest son, Richard White (Lisa) of Travelers Rest, South Carolina; her daughter Kathy Balbach (John) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; her daughter Lois Coriell of Delaware, Ohio; daughter Alana (Don) Greca of Gainesville, Florida; and daughter Connie (Mel) Gornic of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and her special nephew who she thought of a son, Mike Baker, who lovingly helped his Aunt Wanda for many years.
Wanda was also loved and was in constant touch with her mother’s people in Portsmouth, Ohio, and in South Shore, KY, including her cousin Nancy Crawford Jordan, nephew Tim Watts, nieces Karol Charles, Sheila Bailey, and Pam Craft, and Mike Kirk.
Wanda was the grandmother of 19 grandchildren: Paul, Chris, Matt, Zach, Andrea, Tim, Amanda, David, Angie, Billy, Nicole, Natalie, Sarah, Laura, Lauren, Savannah, Daniel, Brie and Ashley. She has numerous great-grandchildren, and just recently became a great-great-grandmother. She adored her grandchildren and took great pride in every one of them.
Funeral services will be at 11 A.M. Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Morton-Hunt Family Funeral Home in South Shore, KY., with Billy Balbach officiating. Burial will follow at Siloam Cemetery in South Shore, KY. Visitation for family and friends will be on Thursday at the funeral home from 9 A.M. until the funeral hour.
