In Memoriam
Jasper White ’76 was born in New Jersey, where he spent much of his childhood on a farm near the Jersey Shore. White began his cooking career in 1973 after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Before settling in Boston in 1979, he worked in New York, Florida, California, Washington, and Montana.
In 1983, he opened Jasper’s Restaurant. Both he and the restaurant received numerous awards and were featured extensively in national and local media. In 1990, White was given the James Beard Award for the Best Chef, Northeast. In May 2000, he opened Jasper White’s Summer Shack, in Cambridge, MA, which was later nominated for Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Awards. In 2005, he was honored with a “Pioneers of American Cuisine” CIA Leadership Award.
He wrote several books, including Jasper White’s Cooking from New England, Lobster at Home, Fifty Chowders, and The Summer Shack Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Shore Food.
After 45 years in the hospitality and seafood business, White hung up his apron and retired. In retirement, he returned to farming, this time as a farm hand at Island Creek Oyster Co. in Duxbury, MA, where he enjoyed his sunrises on the ocean and pulling oysters from the bay. He passed away in May 2024.
Chef Jasper White majored in Culinary Arts at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. He is a member of the inaugural class of CIA’s Alumni Hall of Fame.