Stephen White, who wrote the definitive publication on the early Acadians, "The Genealogical Dictionary of Acadian Families," died Aug. 13.

He was 78 years old and died in a nursing home.

White was born in Massachusetts and is of Acadian descent. He was a resident of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

After becoming a lawyer, he spent 49 years fulfilling his life's work as a full-time genealogist at the Anselme-Chiasson Centre for Acadian Studies at the University of Moncton.

White "dedicated his whole life to preparing the genealogy of every Acadian in the world," Warren Perrin of Lafayette said.

Perrin, an author, attorney and advocate for preserving the Acadians' heritage, said White was "the foremost expert on Cajun genealogy in the world."

White visited Louisiana several times, Perrin said, and would help anyone who asked with their genealogy.

He was awarded many honors for his work, including the Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and in May was named an Honorary Member of the Order of Canada, the second-highest award of merit in Canada. He also belonged to several Acadian family associations, including the Fédération Associations de Familles Acadiennes. 

The first Acadians were residents of France who, in the 1600s, settled first in Port-Royale, Nova Scotia, then colonized other parts of Canada's Maritime region.

In the mid-1700s, the British gained control of the region called Acadia and deported the Acadians in what is now called the Great Upheaval or Le Grand Dérangement. Many made their way to Louisiana where their descendants today are called Cajuns.