RIP Jocelyn
Dallas media personality and animal lover Jocelyn White dies at 68
Longtime Dallas media personality Jocelyn White, who had her own successful television show, Designing Texas, died on April 18 following a short illness; she was 68.
Her death was confirmed by members of her family.
White was an award-winning TV, radio, and print journalist and a fixture on the local charity scene with a passion for animals, including her horse Fabio, three rescued Pugs, and a Chihuahua.
She volunteered on the boards of a number of animal charities, most recently Equest, for which she served as chairman of the board of directors. She was also chairman of the board of directors for the SPCA of Texas from 2013-2015.
Born March 9, 1953, in Crossett, Arkansas, White graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and English. She rose to fame in Dallas' local media scene in roles such as weather reporter for Channel 4, where she began working in 1981.
TV reporter Ed Bark recalls her entry when she became DFW's first weekday female weathercaster, and was one of five women in the country at that time to earn the American Meteorological Society's Seal of Approval. She stayed until 1984, telling Bark that "the reason I quit doing the weather is I was told there would never be a full-time woman chief meteorologist."
She went on to create a number of TV shows including Jocelyn's Weekend, Texas Country Nights, HotOn!Homes, Designing Texas, and Designing America for Mark Cuban's HDNet.
In addition to television, White had a successful radio career that included working for Ron Chapman at KVIL radio and with Kidd Kraddick for the first two years of his Kidd Kraddick Morning Show on KISS FM. From 1988-1991, she was host of a weekly morning show called Sunday Morning with Jocelyn White on KVIL-FM.
She also hosted a daily two-hour health talk show on KGBS radio; co-hosted Booray and Jocelyn in the Morning for ABC Radio Networks; and was Arts & Entertainment Editor at CBS affiliate.
In 2012, she married Kim Seal, a Dallas title company executive.
Survivors include her mother Joyce, brother Joey, and nephew Weston, as well as her husband Kim Seal and his son Brad Seal.
Services have not yet been announced.
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Lindsey Wilson contributed to this story.
The event took place outdoors at The Rustic.Photo courtesy of Farrah Fawcett Foundation
George Hamilton gets the crowd bidding on the chance to have lunch with him the following day.Photo courtesy of The Farrah Fawcett Foundation
