Gabby Transitional, Eclectic and Antique Style Furniture and Lighting
Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/739626
The outbreak of World War II interrupted her studies as men went off to serve our country, and women were needed to fill in the workplace. It was on a train ride to New York that Gabriella met a young Army officer, William Bew White, Jr. traveling to report to duty. This train ride was the beginning of a great partnership that would last for almost six decades. After a whirlwind romance, the couple married in 1943 and Bew left just six months after the wedding to serve our country. "People had a very free spirit during that time," says their son, "Couples got married when they hardly knew each other. Soldiers wanted a wife to think about and come home to after the war." It would be two years before Gabriella's husband returned from the war to begin life in Birmingham. He joined the law firm where his father worked, White, Bradley, Arant, All and Rose (now known as Bradley). He and Gabriella settled into post war life in Birmingham. While Bew was busy with a budding law practice, Gabriella was raising four children and becoming an active part of the community. She served on many community boards, including Mercy Home (now Gateway), the YWCA and United Way. However, she was most passionate about her work with the Girl Scouts. She was an energetic troop leader, Chairman of the annual cookie sale for many years, a dedicated board member and board president for several terms. It was during these years that the two Birmingham Girl Scout councils (one white and one African American) merged. She handled this merger and was proud to have unified the Girl Scouts during such a tumultuous time. Gabriella and Bew also enjoyed traveling and took many trips all over the world. When the family was young, they spent many memorable summers on the beach at Ponte Vedra, Florida, as well as taking trips out west to see the National Parks. A board member of Southern Airways, and later Northwest Airlines, Bew had the opportunity for broadening their travels. Whether it was a trip down the Amazon or to the Serengeti Desert in Africa, Gabriella's sense of adventure enriched the entire family. William says, "they would be gone for weeks and return with fantastic stories. I'd like to think that her adventurous spirit and curious nature prompted me to want to see the world, study French, admire the finer things and find a passion for antiques. I have several beautiful pieces from their home that I treasure. We shop for antiques in France once a year to source for Gabby." Wedding photo