photo by: Contributed

Philando "Phil" Gene White

The sister of a man whose body was found at Clinton Lake last week remembers him for his love of nature and his peaceful demeanor, as his family awaits answers about how the 50-year-old died.

Philando White, of Overland Park, was found by law enforcement around 10 a.m. Sept. 7 at a campsite in the 600 block of North 1415 Road at Clinton State Park, as the Journal-World reported. Law enforcement had responded to the area for a welfare check of an unconscious person.

His sister, Pamela Austin, of Atlanta, told the Journal-World that White loved the outdoors.

“He was all about nature and walking, exercising. He would take walks just for no reason at all. He had his kayak out there (at Clinton Lake). He had his life jacket on,” Austin said.

She said that White had made a lifestyle change to become a vegan in the last few years and had started posting online as the “The Road Trip Vegan,” combining his love of cooking with his outdoor excursions.

“He would stop at different places and cook little meals on his route,” Austin said.

White was a delivery driver for Amazon and had taken the job because it gave him the freedom to travel around the area and get outside as often as possible.

“He liked to be able to be out and be free. That’s exactly why he picked that job. It allowed him the flexibility to do the things he wanted to do. And that was one of the things he liked to do is just stop and look at the owls or to be out in the rain,” Austin said.

White’s love of nature had inspired him to build a “tiny house” on some land he had purchased in the Kansas City area, where he had an outdoor waterfall-shower and a compost toilet. His ingenuity even earned him a nickname among his friends and family, Austin said.

“We used to call him the Black MacGyver because he was always out making stuff out of trees and cutting down stuff,” Austin said.

Austin said that White’s love of the outdoors took him all over the world and that White had made friends overseas in different countries in Europe.

“I loved him so much,” Austin said. “He was just that type of guy who never had any problems, and if there was anything that I needed, he would provide or help. He was really a good brother.”

White’s gentle personality and love of healthy foods and exercise are among the reasons that the family is so confused about his death.

“He just liked to eat healthy and be out in the wilderness. He’s not one of these guys that makes trouble or issues, just a real peaceful, easy-going person,” Austin said.

The circumstances surrounding White’s death are still under investigation, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office told the Journal-World that it is still waiting for an autopsy to be performed to determine the cause of White’s death.

“We are on the police about it,” Austin said. “We need to know more, and they’re not saying a lot. We are trying to be patient and let them do their job. We would hate to think that any foul play came to him, but right now we have no answers. We just don’t know what to think.”

She said White posted his excursion to Clinton Lake on Facebook the day before he was found.

photo by: Contributed

A photo of Philando White at a campfire posted on Facebook around 8 p.m. on Sept. 6 from Clinton Lake.

“My night’s going very very well. Stay in tune with nature, the best type of healing. Peace,” White said in the video while smiling and laughing. White also posted videos of himself paddling a kayak on the lake.

While Austin said she and her family were trying to be patient, she said she hoped that authorities could provide the family with more information soon.

“His mom is, you know, she’s really having a rough time,” Austin said.

The last time Austin spoke to White was two days before he was found dead. She said when she heard of White’s death that she was awakened around 4 a.m. by her uncle and she thought that the call might be about a different relative.

“I never ever in a million years thought it would be my brother. I mean, he leads a healthy life. He doesn’t drink or smoke. So, never did I think it would be him,” Austin said.

“He was honest,” she added. “He didn’t know a stranger. He never knew a stranger, and he was extremely peaceful. His life meant something.”

Memorial services have yet to be scheduled for White.

Below is a video White recorded while kayaking at Clinton Lake on Sept. 6.