Greg White

He went by "Whitey" - his rugby nickname. Just don't call him Gregory, unless you're Nana.

He was born the 19th of June, 1985; Greg would have wanted everyone to know he is and always will be a Colorado native. He came into this world the first of what would be three boys to David and Gretchen White, and he grew up to be the tallest and curly hair-est of the bunch.

Greg was calm, gentle, generous, and a bit persnickety- even from the start. He was a constant reminder to look past the little things and stay true to oneself. As an older brother, he would blaze trails and build forts - he was an inspiration for his younger siblings Drew & Jack and always will be.

Childhood interests in art, athletics, and collecting quickly morphed into passions for music, rugby, and superhero trading cards. He played football, rugby, the clarinet, and made fun of his Brothers, all the while, keeping collections of goosebumps and snuggling with his favorite Cats behind closed doors. He grew and he grew and he grew...into the best older brother, a Captain of his teams and a stand-out in his classrooms.

Upon graduation from Bishop Machebeuf High School, Greg and the soon-to-be love of his life, Ashleigh Lopez, attended Western State College. The two love birds began their lives in the mountains after studying, and growing together. Greg taught English at Gunnison High School and coached rugby (as well as regularly lacing up his boots) for the Mountaineers rugby team.

In 2013, Greg and Ashleigh moved back to the Denver metro area to follow their hearts and start a new chapter together. While the two adjusted to the lack of altitude, they spent time with their families, made new friends, and as Greg was prone to do: lived with no regrets. As an adult, Greg would go on to perfect his crafts of home brewing, fermentation, and his love of New Mexican chile-making (the hotter, the better). His decor tastes and nerdiness made Greg a man of quality, and deep appreciation for history - a person that invested genuine curiosity into the things that he knew and almost unceasingly wanted to know more of.

These fundamentals became all the more important in 2018, when Greg was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Our gentle giant & all those in the village around him were able to bond and adapt to one of the hardest lessons of them all: Life is far-too-short...

Still, Greg made life so sweet. During those days of diagnoses, he went on to win medals for his beers, share sour dough starters, and power through any pain to hike over mountains, build garden beds, and spread passion to those around him. Nurses, doctors, and fellow patients alike, knew Greg and Ashleigh as they were - the "best"- secretly vying for who would get to take care of the couple that both never complained and somehow made you smile in the somberest of situations.

Anyone lucky enough to have spent precious time with Greg, easily recalls his missions to be a beacon of wellness and social justice as he worked tirelessly in the health sciences and environmental stewardship of indigenous lands programs at CU Denver. With his unintentional exposure to the reality of modern medicine, Greg soon became an advocate for access to care for all while doing our duty to vote for those that stand for values like humility and restorative justice; he even penned testimony for a Colorado Bill to ensure reproductive rights for cancer patients. Please remember his legacy and love come the November vote.

Although COVID brought a level of seriousness and seclusion to 2020, as always, Greg and Ashleigh were able to make the most of this newfound micro blessing. It was a honeymoon to a new chapter of love and honesty. Impromptu camping trips, visits to New Mexico, picking apples, and perfecting baking...this is how Greg spent his last months; in his last days he continued to build and nurture his relationships with a genuine honesty. To his last day, Greg spread smiles to all those he knew, even if just through a phone, recipe he wrote, glass door, or Xbox chat.

He left this earth on September 29th. Unexpectedly and since, so many that knew him have been left without words and in shock. In all: things will never be the same.

For at the end of everything, Greg will be survived by all those that know him and the goodness that his love brings this world. We will all be forever changed by the legacy of Greg's gifts that he gave us. Ashleigh, Hatch and Lucy will always carry his memory with them - he can always be found in the highest of hills and the sourest of beers. The Lopez-White family thanks all those that have supported them during this time. As Greg always said: One Love.