LIFE-SKETCH: ALAN RAY PITTS

My parents moved back to Utah 4 years ago when my father's health started failing. He had had a stroke in December of 2015, which rendered him physically resigned to a "one-story" living arrangement making their two-story home no longer feasible. I know mom was excited to return to Utah with the blue skies, sunshine and warmer weather; but dad found leaving his home state of 47 years much harder. He acquiesced once he realized that moving to Utah, though leaving dear friends behind, would afford him much more contact and visit opportunities with children and grandchildren!

I am grateful for those here today who have come to say "Good-bye" to our father and grandfather. I will admit that this is not how I imagined his funeral to be…it's not even how I imagined the end of his life to be. But, we are living in difficult times. Times that are a little unpredictable and hard to navigate. My father passed away last Friday morning (September 25, 2020). He was alone. My mother has just arrived, about 10AM in his room, and found him. She quickly called me, and I rushed to meet her. What you should know about my mother is that she loved my father. There is no question of that. Despite the COVID restrictions, my mother found ways to see him, to bring him cards, to make sure any and all his needs were met. My father knew always, especially in the end, that he was cared for. So, though he passed away quietly on the morning of September 25, 2020, he knew he was loved. He had been battling diabetes for months and died due to complications from it at age 79.

My father was born in Price, Utah on August 1, 1941, to Doyle and Florence Pitts. He had 2 older sisters; Judy and Joan, and an older brother, Richard. After my father, came his sister, Marilyn, and his younger brother, Mark.

Dad was a very active child who loved riding his bike. He rode his bike with friends and would often ride out to the Price airport and back. He also loved swimming and would spend many hours during the Summer at the city swimming pool that was across the street from his home. When he was older, he became interested in Tennis and had a passion for the game. He was often seen playing tennis at the Price City Park. He loved Winter sports as well. He often told stories of riding his Radio Flyer sleigh down "wood hill" into Pioneer Park over and over again after the winter snows had fallen.

Early in his life he became a paper boy, delivering both the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune. He would make One trip in the morning and one in the afternoon. He worked as a paper boy for several years. After Dad's stroke, his short-term memory was not as keen as his long-term memory was---and he lived mostly in "the past." Mom said It was not unusual to be sitting at the kitchen table and have Dad recall a "newspaper" story. He could remember the names of his customers, what they would give him for a Christmas bonus, including a free "Spudnut" at the local "Spudnut" shop. For those who don't know, a "Spudnut" is a donut—I didn't know! He could also recall the names of the dogs that chased him on a regular basis.

Dad came from a very musical family. He played the violin, sang and dabbled at the piano well enough to "hen-peck" out a hymn, if needed. Music became a tradition in our home growing up. Each one of us was "required" to play the piano well enough to play the hymns, at LEAST—Dad wanted his kids to be able to be of service to play the piano or lead the music in Church or on a Mission. All of us DO play the piano well enough to play the Hymns, and a couple of us play well enough that we had the honor of being able to accompany the Seattle Symphony during special performances.

He served in the Army Reserves and attended basic training in South Carolina. He often mentioned how much he enjoyed being in the service and how he loved the structure of each day. This could explain why certain aspects of our childhood had military-like "over-tones." Our chores, for example, received "white glove" inspections, and those not considered "up-to-standard" were to be re-done, until the chore received a "PASS." We can, however, all make beds with military corners. I also believe that his military training, unfortunately, carried over into how he taught each of us to drive a car. He would call out, in a commanding voice the cost to replace various car parts—whether they be on the car we were driving, or the one we were close to. I believe this was done as a deterrent to keep us from hitting another vehicle. It didn't so much help us learn to drive better, as much as it prevented us from going anywhere near another vehicle!

After giving six months to the Army Reserve he decided to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints and accepted a call to the Eastern States mission headquartered in New York City. He loved his mission and again, like his paper route, could remember the people he taught, where they lived and always a little story about each family or individual.

He met mom, Konnie Magliocco, while attending Carbon College before his mission and while he served his mission, she waited for him. When he returned, they were married in the Manti Temple June 4, 1963.

After they were married, they moved to Provo, Utah where dad attended Brigham Young University and mom transferred to the Uintah National Forest supervisors office to work. During his time at BYU, my brother, Todd, was born in March of 1964. While attending school, because mom was working, dad often took Todd to class. Todd would sit in a chair next to dad, pull out his paper and pencil and wait for the professor to lecture. Dad graduated from BYU in 1969 as a Design and Drafting Engineer with a minor in Manufacturing and went to work for the Boeing Airplane Company in Seattle Washington.

My brother Kelly was also born that year; followed by me a few years later, then Jeremie, and last, but not least, Michael.

Dad served in a number of church callings over the years. He was Young Men president, served on the High Council and as a member of the bishopric. He always accepted the call to be a home teacher – a calling he loved and performed faithfully each month.

Dad was an outgoing, friendly, people person who always took advantage of missionary opportunities. He was never afraid to share the gospel when the opportunity presented itself, He enjoyed calling his siblings to chat with them, calling cousins, friends he had not seen in a while to catch up on their current lives and assuring them that he thought of them often and loved them. He enjoyed helping mom plan and prepare the meals they would be having when "company" came – chocolate and cherry pie was a must.

Dad was always exploring new things to do. Mom tells a story of when they were living on some property where there was literally a forest in their backyard and they were getting use to the slugs in Washington and Dad thought it would be a good idea to get some geese to wander around the backyard and eat the slugs that "plagued" them. She said that Dad purchased the geese, brought them home, let them loose in the large backyard only to discover—after several days---that they were the wrong breed of geese, and in fact, vegetarian—NON-slug-eating geese! It took Dad quite a while to catch the geese and return them to their original owner! Another venture dad pursued was to have bee hives in the back yard. I was old enough to remember this one. This venture was a little more successful, but more work than he had planned on. Perhaps the only good that came from that venture was a little bit of honey and a chance for my brothers to capture a "hive" of bees for their beekeeping merit badge.

Speaking of merit badges, although my dad never reached the rank of eagle scout, it was his desire that each of his four sons attain the rank of eagle. He was very active in assisting and "insisting" that the Eagle rank be achieved and it was. Todd, Kelly, Jeremie and Mike are all Eagle scouts. He believed and supported scouting which meant he also was active with my brothers in the cub scout program. One of his most valued event was the annual Pinewood derby. He would "help" my brothers each year build a pinewood derby car. Many times my brothers would win first place.   He continued that interest when my two oldest boys were in cub scouts. Grandpa "helped" them build cars and sure enough, they won first place! When the Boeing company had their annual Pinewood derby race, dad and his friends put a gas powered engine on theirs and yes, they won.

A couple of special stories I would like to share with you. In our ward in Auburn Washington a young man by the name of Sammy Bell resided. Sammy was born a paraplegic who loved to attend church in his wheelchair. It was difficult for him to speak but he often bore his testimony any way. Dad and Sammy became fast friends and often Dad would say to Sammy, "Let's go for a ride" Sammy would grin and agree and then they would be off in the car talking all the time. One day Dad asked Sammy, "What can I do for you today?" and Sammy replied, "I want the Priesthood".   When Dad inquired about that, he was told that would not be necessary since Sammy could not officiate in the Priesthood, This was very important to Sammy so dad pursued the request further and to Sammy;s delight the Priesthood was conferred upon him.

I witnessed Sammy telling my father, "I wish you were my dad." My father's response to that was, "I'd be honored, but I know your dad loves you and is proud of you and he can't wait to be with you again. I would never take that away from him."

On a lighter note, this event occurred before my mom and dad were married. Dad loved cars and was working at the Dinosaur service station in Price Utah to earn money to buy a car – specifically a 1955   buick special. Each payday he would convert his check into paper bills, go to mom's house, set up the ironing board and proceed to iron his money so it would lay flat and crisp in the box where he was saving his money. My grandmother found this hilarious and would find it difficult not to laugh out loud while he was still there, ironing his money!

Dad had a love for wood and woodworking. He had a profound respect for good wood and did not have the heart to throw any away, in fact, there is a box in my parents' garage that has small pieces of oak in it from when he remodeled their kitchen IN WASHINGTON STATE…YEARS AGO. He also decided at one time to take a class in glass working and made many jewelry boxes, sun catchers, and lamp shades that hung in our home for many years

My parents treasured their 57 years together. 57 years…that's almost unheard of any more. I know few people who can say they've made it that many years together. They worked through many challenges and heartaches together. They worked together. They played together. They planned a life together. They remained sweethearts throughout their time here on earth and because of that, it will extend into the eternities. If we could all be so lucky…

Funeral services will be held Friday, October 2, 2020 at 11:00 AM in the Wing Mortuary Chapel, 118 East Main, Lehi, Utah.  A viewing will be held starting at 10:00 AM prior to the service.  Interment, Lehi City Cemetery.