FATHER'S OBITUARY--- New York Times, October 29, 1998 - R.L. White, 82; Headed Union In Post Offices - Robert L. White, a former mailman who was president of the National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees, one of the country's oldest independent, black-led labor unions, died on Sunday at Washington Hospital Center. He was 82 and lived in Washington. - The cause was pneumonia, the union said. - Mr. White was elected national president in 1970 and served until retiring in 1989. Under his leadership, membership rose to 80,000 as the union maintained close ties with other black institutions, organizations and businesses. - The National Alliance made a $1.2 million grant to Howard University for a labor-law clinic and a new graduate program in labor-management relations in its School of Business. Mr. White also oversaw the creation of a credit union, a housing program and a health-benefit plan for retired union members. - Mr. White, a native of Jackson, Miss., arrived in Washington in 1934 to attend Howard University on a full football scholarship. He played football and basketball and was a member of the track team. - He started working for the United States Post Office in the late 1930's and quickly became active in the National Alliance, which was formed in 1913 to serve black railway mail clerks and protect their jobs. He rose through the union ranks and in 1953 was voted president of the Washington chapter, a post he held until becoming national president. - Mr. White is survived by his wife of 59 years, Helen H. White; six sons, Ramon, of Washington, Robert, of Omaha, Christopher, of Japan, and William, Stephen and Mark, all of Oakland, Calif.; five daughters, Helen Janice White-Dada and Dorothy White-Lee, both of Washington, Roberta White-Battle and Elizabeth White, both of Sacramento, Calif., and Mary White-Prince, of Atlanta; a sister; two brothers, and 18 grandchildren.