Lee Clair Ormond Obituary
1930 – 2021
“I told you I was sick!” I’ve always thought that was a great way to start an obituary. Not true in this case, as his body simply shut down on December 4, 2021, because he was 91 years old.
How do you summarize 91+ years of life in a few paragraphs? Truth is you don’t – you can’t. In a sense, an obituary is an impossible task, but here we are.
Some facts: Lee Clair Ormond was born at his grandparent’s home in Hyrum, Utah, on November 20, 1930, the first child of Charles Lee and Vinetta Elizabeth Ormond. The family was later joined by Jim (Carolyn) of Farr West, Utah, Ellvaughn (aka Bonnie), and Bill. Jim is still with us, and the rest are gone. There will be a funeral service at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chapel at 8107 S. 6700 W., West Jordan, Utah, 84081, on December 27, 2021, at noon.
Much of his life was impacted by a car accident at 18 months of age where his leg was run over. Many surgeries for several years later and he was able to walk with a distinct limp unassisted because that leg was 2 inches shorter than the other. That didn’t stop him from developing a love for the outdoors and hunting, fishing, and hiking.
The family lived in Cache Valley and then moved to Ogden, Utah, during WWII. Here he began his career as a meat cutter (aka butcher) while still a teenager. Here he also married Beverley June Curtis (deceased) on May 12, 1950. They lived in Ogden, Logan, and Hyrum, Utah, later in American Falls, Idaho. They later divorced but raised eight children – all still living: Cevin (Carol) Ormond, Lynn (Taunna) Ormond, Donna (Lyle) Michaelson, Nancy (Robin) Spencer, Wendy (Thayne) Nelson, Raelene (Dan) Gibson, Jana (Jerry) Adams, and Kayla Ormond. On January 2, 1977, he married Brenda Helen Ferrin, who survives him. They raised her boys, Alan Ruoho and Michael (Karen) Ruoho, in Shelley, Idaho, where he worked as a butcher and served on both the City Council and on the High Council of the Shelley Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, of which he was a lifelong member. He obviously served in many other positions in the church over the years as all members do, including serving three missions with Brenda in South Carolina, Texas, and Indiana. He is also survived by 44 grandchildren, around 100 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great-grandchildren (by my count). Enough of the boring (imho) but necessary statistics. What was he really like?
That’s always complicated because everyone who knew him has a different take on that – here’s mine.
I’ve read a lot of obituaries that sounded like the person walked on water without getting their sandals wet and, for all of us but One, that is a lie. My dad was a flawed human, as are we all, but therein lies the greatness. As I learned his trade from him during my years from 8 – 19, I had the opportunity to see him more than anyone else – the good, the bad, and the ugly, and, on balance, there was more good than anything else. I also got to witness his work ethic, his love for his family, his love for hunting, the outdoors, for fishing, and his love for people in general and picked up those things myself. Those are some of the gifts that he gave me without his even being aware of it. That’s just me, but I’m sure that is true to a lesser or greater degree for all who knew him. The thing for me, and for us all, is to take the good things he gave to us, build upon and magnify them, and pay them forward. Now, that’s a legacy!
