Former sheriff’s deputy Eddie White dies at 78

Eddie A. White, a former Pueblo County sheriff's deputy and investigator, died Thursday at a local hospital after a sudden illness. He was 78.

White, originally from Babbitt, Nev., was an Army veteran before moving to Pueblo and joining the sheriff's office. He eventually became head of the investigations unit under former Sheriff Dan Tihonovich.

White was frequently in the news, figuring in arrests and even jailbreaks at the Pueblo County jail. Some reports weren't flattering.

 In 1978, White was convicted of assault stemming from an arrest he made in a local tavern. Tihonovich defended White at the time and accused then-District Attorney Joe Losavio of selectively prosecuting his department.

White left the sheriff's office shortly afterward to start his own security and investigations company. Among his customers was actor Chevy Chase in 1982, when Warner Brothers was filming in the area. White retired from that business in 1990.

He is survived by five children: Alvin Huntington, Edwina White and Eddie White III, all of Pueblo; Marques White of Colorado Springs; and Tamara Corley of Atlanta.

A memorial fund has been set up at Ent Federal Credit Union.

  Funeral services are set for noon Wednesday at Bethlehem Baptist Church, 1044 Spruce Ave., under the direction of Angelus Chapel.