"There's something truly magical about her lying down there, still beckoning after all these years," White told USA Today in 2000. "But I don't really know why the Titanic has such an allure for me. Does anyone ever understand why they fall in love?"
The documentary "Titanica" was made possible because of developments in technology. White and Emory Kristof pioneered the development of advanced remote cameras and deep ocean imaging and lighting systems. Powerful underwater lights were necessary to penetrate the deep sea darkness.
Russian deep-diving submersibles Mir-1 and Mir- 2 were also a key component of the filming. The men pitched the idea of "Titanica" to IMAX "showing we could use both subs, one to light and the other to film."
The resulting images stunned even White.
"When I looked at it, I couldn't believe how clear the images were," he told the Vancouver Sun in 1993. "We had actually outfitted one of the portholes with the lens, so that in a sense, you are getting a better view than what we could see ourselves while we were down there -- due to the lenses and light quality."
The success of "Titanica" laid the groundwork for Cameron's "Titanic." White served as expedition leader and second-unit cameraman on the film. He was also the deep-sea imaging and guest wreck expert on the History Channel's "Titanic's Last Moments" and worked on other films related to the shipwreck.
White disagreed with some who argued that the ship's contents should not be salvaged. In 1987 and 2000, he co-directed salvaging expeditions that led to the recovery of thousands of artifacts.
"A lot of the artifacts that people see in exposition . . . were actually salvaged by Ralph," said Rosaly Lopes, White's fiancee. "He had more dives to the Titanic than any other American."
Born Aug. 28, 1941, in San Bernardino, White grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii.
He attended a military school and served in the Marine Corps, where he learned to parachute. He served with a reconnaissance unit in Vietnam.
After his discharge in 1966, he opened a parachuting school in Lancaster. He became a member of the United States Parachute Team and a free-fall cameraman for the TV show "Ripcord."
In addition to Lopes and Few, White is survived by his son, Randy Pixley of Atlanta; two grandchildren, Samantha and Nicholas; and Lopes' son Thomas Gautier.
A memorial service was held Tuesday.
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jocelyn.stewart@latimes.com
