Ivan R. “Toi” White, a Baltimore Police Department detective, died of cancer Oct. 11 at WellSpan York Hospital in Pennsylvania. The New Freedom, Pennsylvania, resident was 54.

Born in Baltimore and raised in Edmondson Village, he was the son of Silas N. White, a General Motors worker who owned a driving school, and his wife, Jean Dorsey. His mother died when he was five and he was raised by his father and his sisters.

After attending St. William of York School, he was a 1989 graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. He attended Morgan State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in information systems.

From 1988 to 1989, Mr. White worked at the former Ken and Ray on North Avenue, where he repaired typewriters and calculators.

He later worked at Cytodiagnostics Cancer Screening Laboratory, where he was responsible for computer programming and data entry. While there, he worked alongside his father.

“He thoroughly enjoyed working alongside his dad. He was great at his work and Toi was outgoing to a point. When he met you, he treated you like he knew you already. You were an instant friend,” said his sister, Laure Nieci Adkins.

In 1997, Mr. White joined the Baltimore City Police Department. He worked in the Northeast District as a patrolman, the Criminal Investigation Division as a detective and as an agent in the Chief of Patrol’s Office.

“Officer White was cherished by his BPD family,” said a Police Department statement. “He was a serious and critical thinker, but could make you laugh with his quirky and dry sense of humor, in addition to his love for ‘Star Wars.'”

He met his future wife, Elena “Monica” Castillano, who caught his eye at Rascals bar. He later ran into her outside a Giant grocery near his work. They married in 1999 in Rockland, Baltimore County.

After buying their home in Nottingham, they built a vacation and retirement home in the Philippines, where his wife was born.

“Toi and Monica built a life that featured trips, terrific meals, and lots of laughter,” said a friend, Everett Rosenfeld.

“They loved their dogs as if they were their children,” said Mr. Rosenfeld. “The dogs were a never-ending source of joy for them. Toi brushed their teeth every day and took them on individual runs to get the most exercise possible.”

Mr. White was an automobile fan and made trips to Niagara Falls. He also enjoyed rock ‘n’ roll and heavy metal, professional wrestling, video games and playing guitar. He was a ‘Star Wars’ collector.

A Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Oct. 22 at St. Bernardine Roman Catholic Church on Edmondson Avenue, where he had been a member.

Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Elena “Monica” Castillano White, a former child care provider and caterer; his sisters, Laure Nieci Adkins, of Bel Air, and Eileen “Sunshine” Thomas, of Williamsburg, Virginia, Geneva Thomas, of Baltimore County, Karen White, of Baltimore, Earlene Ferguson, of Baltimore, and Veronica “Ronnie” White, of Howard County. He is also survived by stepchildren and nieces and nephews.

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