Lawrence P. Fowers

One of the Bountiful Temple’s most faithful volunteer dishwashers threw in the towel on May 26, 2018 and returned home.  Lawrence P. Fowers, known by friends and family as Sam, left this mortal life because of complications from bacterial meningitis.  Sam was born in Ogden, Utah, to Wilford and Irene Packer Fowers.  He graduated from Bonneville High School and went on to Utah State University to study accounting.  He interrupted his studies to serve an LDS mission in France and Switzerland.  It was at the train station in Geneva, Switzerland, where he met a sister missionary by the name of Jana Larson.  He gave her some orders and she stamped her foot at him and called him a “dumb Elder”.  He forgave her, and they were married about nine months after she returned home.  That is when the Fowers Family adventures began.

Sam’s first job out of college was with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell in Washington D.C.  It was a blast driving across country from Utah to D.C. with a two-week old baby and a car stuffed with all their belongings.  After visiting every museum and historical site in the area, Jana suggested they return home where housing was less expensive, and less cockroach infested. They returned to Utah and Sam’s next employment was with Norbest Turkeys, as Controller.  He finally got tired of working with turkeys and moved on to long distance communications.  He spent most of his working career with TelAmerica and rose to the rank of CFO.  One of the best parts about his employment there was the yearly incentive trips that gave Sam and Jana the opportunity to explore the world.  They often took babies on those trips, too, as their family kept growing and growing.

They settled in Farmington after a stint in Bennion and Bountiful.  Because they had the habit of moving quite often, they told their kids they would keep the same phone number, just in case the move happened while they were in school.  The kids could then call and find out where the new home was located. Sam learned to become an expert in laying sprinkler pipe and putting in lawns.  He loved to grow big gardens too, and he was guilty of placing a few giant zucchini on doorsteps throughout the neighborhood.

Sam was a hard worker and everything he did was done with his whole heart.  Especially his church callings.  Whether serving as Bishop, Counselor, Scoutmaster, Temple Ordinance Worker, Gospel Doctrine Teacher, Primary Teacher or Home Teacher, he gave his full effort. His favorite thing was to bear his testimony every week to a group of young people. It was plain to his family and friends that he loved the Gospel, the Temple, the scriptures, and most of all, the Savior.

He leaves behind his wife of 43 years, and his children: Risa and Jeremy Karras, Brandon Fowers, Brittany and Brian Conde, Katie and Paul Shoemaker, Summer and Tyler Barrett, Jillian and Andrew Cluff, Karley and Bo Wagner, and Hunter Fowers. Also 22 grandchildren and his siblings Dwight and Linda Fowers, Verlayne and Chad Campbell, Jay and Geri Fowers, Nada Fowers, and sister-in-law Charyl Fowers.  He was welcomed in heaven by his son Jordan, his baby sister Susan, his brother Mark, and his parents.

We will celebrate Sam’s life on Saturday, June 2, 2018, at the LDS chapel at 1954 E. Antelope Drive, Layton, UT, 84040 at 11 a.m.  There will be a viewing from 9:30 until 10:30 a.m. at the chapel that same day.  There will also be a viewing on Friday, June 1, at the Russon Brothers’ Mortuary in Farmington, 1941 N. Main Street from 6 to 8 p.m.

Sam will be buried in the Farmington cemetery next to his son, Jordan.  In lieu of flowers consider a donation to the Missionary Fund or Humanitarian Aid of the LDS Church.