-Funeral mourns Kenneth White, boy killed in Albany County- The Rev. Scott DeGiorgio was not able to answer the question he must have suspected was on the minds of the 50 to 60 people at the funeral service Saturday morning for Kenneth White, the 5-year-old boy killed in his Knox home on December 18. After 15 years as a pastor, DeGiorgio said he could not explain why God allowed some things. Things like the slaying of a kindergartner who loved Spider-Man. Theres really no way to wrap your head around that and come to terms with that, said DeGiorgio, the pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Petersburgh, Rensselaer County, who had an indirect connection to the family, but had not known the 5-year-old boy. The 20-minute service was quiet and somber. Police stood near the entrance to the funeral home, but no incident disturbed the peace. The funeral was held at Riley Mortuary in Amsterdam, the city in which Kenneth Whites mother, Christine VanAlstyne White, lives. Kenneth White and 2 sisters ( including his twin, Cheyanne) lived with their aunt Brenda VanAlstyne in the Albany County town of Knox. His cousin Tiffany VanAlstyne (19) who also lived there, is believed by police to have strangled Kenneth White, and has been charged with second-degree murder. She originally claimed two masked men broke into their home and kidnapped the boy, triggering an AMBER Alert. Authorities determined her story was a hoax. The boys body was found buried in snow in a culvert across the street from their home. At Tiffany VanAlstynes arraignment, Brenda VanAlstyne said her daughter has bipolar disorder. The home in which they lived has since been temporarily shuttered by the town due to unsafe conditions. Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple has said Kenneth and his siblings lived with their aunt because their parents had abandoned them. The children have at least 6 other siblings. Another sibling, Jayson M. White Jr., died as an infant in 2005. Through tears, Jayson White spoke at his sons funeral service, looking at the closed casket behind his left shoulder. He said he hoped the boy would understand why he had not been able to live with him. He described his son as a loving, caring, compassionate boy, not unlike his idol, Spider-Man. If I could, I would continue loving you forever and ever, Jayson White said. And later: Your daddy will always be there for you. He mentioned the other son who had died. Through my story, I hope people see that we have to love and cherish one another, Jayson White said. Funeral-goers wrote notes to Kenneth White on a massive board in Riley Mortuarys front room with big blue letters that spelled out KENNETH WE LOVE YOU. The most prominent note read Daddy loves you! Someone drew a red heart with a thick black zigzag line intersecting it, indicating a break. At the end of Saturdays service, mourners were asked to pay their final respects to Kenneth White, and then exit the funeral parlor in order to allow the parents to open the casket and say goodbye themselves. A funeral procession made its way more than 30 miles down the Thruway to bury Kenneth White at the Cavalry Cemetery in Glenmont, where his brother Jayson is buried.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 19:49:10 +0000
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