TOMS RIVER – Janice White, a longtime emergency room nurse remembered by colleagues as a steady presence and compassionate caregiver, died Jan. 13 in Toms River. She was 69.
White spent more than four decades in nursing, earning a reputation at Ocean University Medical Center for her kindness, warmth, mentorship and tireless commitment to patients and staff alike. Members of Brick Township EMS/Rescue said she was widely regarded as the “matriarch” of the emergency department.
Colleagues recalled that entering the ER often meant being greeted by White’s familiar question — “What do you have for me, honey?” — a small gesture that, they said, set the tone during high-stress moments. A local resident wrote on Facebook that his son, who works security in the emergency department, described White as “the nicest lady he ever met.”
Born June 13, 1956, White was raised in Lakewood by her parents, Richard C. Wheaton and Nora Wheaton. She later settled in Manchester Township, where she and her husband, Edward White — her high school sweetheart — raised their family. The couple married in 1977; Edward White died in 1986.
White attended nursing school in Germantown, Pennsylvania, and began her career at Point Pleasant Hospital before continuing her work at Ocean Medical Center in Brick. Known professionally as “Mrs. White,” she was admired for her generosity of spirit and dedication to service, leaving a lasting impression on coworkers and patients across generations.
She is survived by her son, Matthew White, of Bend, Oregon; her daughter, Sarah White Maar, and son-in-law Edward Maar, of New York City; her sister, Kathy Shearman, of Brick; and her brother, Richard Wheaton, and his wife, Laura, of Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.
In lieu of flowers, donations in White’s memory may be made to the NJ Sharing Network.
