Glenn Loris Whitear

Glenn Loris Whitear, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend passed away in Layton, Utah on Monday, November 4, 2024, after living a vibrant, optimistic, and healthy life of 96-1/2 years. He was born on March 3, 1928 in Ogden, Utah to parents Loris Albert and Pearl Welch Whitear. 

He attended Elementary, Junior High, and High School in Evanston, Wyoming. He also attended his first two years of high school at West High School in Salt Lake City, after his father had been transferred by the Railroad because of the threat of World War II. While still a Senior at Evanston High School, Glenn was drafted into the Army because of the War. His military service was deferred until after his high school graduation. He enlisted into the U.S. Army Signal Corps and after basic training and more testing, was transferred into the U.S. Air Force in a radio security section monitoring international Morse Code. He became a Corporal and Acting Shift Sergeant, keeping watch over the western coast during his 18 months of military service. 

In 1948 to 1950, Glenn served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was called to serve in the North Central States Mission comprising North Dakota and Minnesota. He spent his first year in Fargo, ND. Then his life changed. In 1949, Glenn and his companion was transferred to the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota. He labored among the Chippewa Indian people. Glenn and Elder Pettingill were the first LDS missionaries to introduce the Book of Mormon to the Chippewa people. 

As a returned missionary, Glenn was asked to speak of his Lamanite mission experiences at a ward in Coleville, Utah. He didn’t have a ride back to BYU where he was attending school. Glenn’s aunt, Hazel Richins, made arrangements for him to ride back to school with Betty Jean Aaron. She had a car and was returning from her home in Evanston back to BYU. Betty didn’t know Glenn, and didn’t know he would be speaking in church. She was not prepared to attend Sacrament Meeting; she was wearing her Levis. She rolled them up and kept her long winter coat on, went in, and heard Glenn speak. They both returned to BYU and started dating. After a sweet courtship and engagement, they married on June 2, 1952 in the Salt Lake Temple. They remained eternal sweethearts throughout their lives. 

While attending BYU, Glenn worked as a Police Officer for Provo City. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science on June 7, 1954. After graduation, they lived in Provo, Bountiful, Mesa, Arizona, and then returned back to Bountiful. Glenn and Betty were blessed with 5 children…. Christy, Doug, Karen, Sandi, and Scott.  

Glenn loved the Lord and was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At the age of 32, he was called to be Bishop of the Bountiful 12th Ward and later the Bountiful 22nd Ward. The Bountiful 12th Ward building was built by ward members under his leadership as Bishop. Glenn also served on the Stake High Council in the East Mesa Stake, Home Teacher, Sunday School Teacher, Executive Secretary of the Meadows Branch, High Priest Group Leader, Ward Mission Leader, and 19 years in the Bountiful Temple serving as an Ordinance Worker. 

In his professional career as a Giant Tire Engineer and Commercial Sales Manager, Glenn worked for major tire manufacturers working in large open pit mines throughout the western U.S. and Canada. He played a major role in the development of safety protocols that changed the mining industry, which are still used today.  

While living in Mesa, Glenn was involved in a major industrial accident. He was checking the pressure of a giant mine tire and loader when he noticed it was over heated. He turned to warn mining officials of the danger when the tire exploded throwing him many yards and almost killing him. Thousands of small rocks were embedded into his eyes, chest, and face. After many weeks and many surgeries, Glenn lost the sight in both eyes. After a blessing from his Stake President, miraculously the sight in his left eye was restored. He learned to live and function very well with the sight that he called his “Celestial Eye.” He continued to work in his profession that he loved and enjoyed until his retirement at age 71.  

Glenn is a wonderful father of 5, grandfather of 10, and great-grandfather of 19. He also was “grandfather” to the Hoffman Family and many others. He loved serving and helping anyone in need. He had a heart that reached out to those who struggled. He also loved and enjoyed his and Betty’s dear friends all throughout their lives. His faithful service and dedication to meeting the health needs of his sons, Doug and Scott, the special bond he formed with his grandson Jackson, and the final care of his beloved wife, “BB” was an example to all of us to serve and love unconditionally as the Savior did.  

He is remembered by his family for all the years of fun and play at home and also at the family’s Jackson Hole cabin, delivering Baskin Robbins Ice Cream to a sick family member or friend, making his delightful fudge or Jello in the middle of the night for his little children, telling wonderful stories like the “Friendly Mormon Pioneer Cowboy” or “Brier Rabbit and Brier Fox”, complete with sound effects. He loved to sing the “Zippity Du Da” song, emphasizing “my oh my, what a wonderful day.” He was an armchair coach for the BYU football and basketball Cougars. He loved telling stories from the Old and New Testament and serving and helping those who were in need. Glenn was an avid reader of the Scriptures and would read for hours, studying and learning. He would bear his Testimony often and talked many times to all his family about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. He is remembered best by his honorable character.  

Glenn promised his children when they were little that he would always protect them. And as life beat down upon all his family through the years, he kept that promise. 

His final years while staying independent, were spent in his basement apartment in the home of R. Lynn and Sandi Olson in Bountiful and then for a few weeks in the home of his daughter, Christy Schumann in Layton, Utah. He was cared for and loved by his three daughters, Christy, Karen, and Sandi and their families. He stayed positive and active as possible even as he began to lose his strength and his health declined.

He received the joyful experience of returning the Black Stone Peace Pipe to Chief David Midegah Taylor and the Ojibwe Indian people. This was a great blessing from the Lord! 

Glenn is survived by his daughters, Christy Schumann (ElRay), Layton, Karen Johnson (Dan Burnside), Layton, and Sandi Olson (R. Lynn), Bountiful. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, as well as his sister, Sharon Kaye Whitear Uhlig (Willard), Wells, NV and brother-in-law Dr. John Aaron (Viki), Rock Springs, WY.

Glenn was preceded in death by his wife and eternal companion, Betty Jean Aaron Whitear, his parents Loris and Pearl Welch Whitear, his sons Douglas Aaron Whitear and Scott Aaron Whitear, his son-in-law ElRay Merrill Schumann, his grandson Jacob Glenn Whitear, his brother Melvin Whitear (Marcia), his sister-in-law Joan Carolyn Aaron Olivas (Raul Manuel) and his father and mother-in-law John Windel Aaron, Jr. and Helen May McLemore Aaron.

The Whitear Family would like to thank Symbii Hospice who gave Dad loving care during his final days.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday, November 8, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at the Bountiful 53rd Ward, 1350 North 650 East, Bountiful, Utah. Friends may come to call at a viewing on Thursday, evening from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Russon Mortuary, 295 North Main Street, Bountiful, Utah and Friday morning from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. at the church prior to services. Internment at Bountiful City Cemetery.

Special thanks to Russon Mortuary and the Bountiful 53rd Ward Relief Society.

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary Live Facebook page and on this obituary page. The live stream will begin about 10-15 minutes prior to the service and will be posted below.