Wilbur Leander Pearson Jr.

Wilbur (Bill, Will) Leander Pearson Jr., age 88, died August 15, 2018 at his home in West Jordan, Utah, of causes incident to age. Being a firm believer in Eternal Life, he knows where he is going. Born June 17, 1930, Seattle, King Co, Washington; second of eight children of Wilbur L. Pearson (Forester) and Anna Lucile Sanderlin (Housewife, High school graduate). Raised and educated in downtown Lewiston, Idaho, during the nineteen-thirties, and Lewiston Orchards during the forties as farmer, machinist, carpenter, forester. Tagged early in life by his mother as a "Jack of All Trades and Master of None." Attended U. of Idaho; eight years US Navy, training in Naval aviation trade schools as an Aircrewman and aircraft Structural Mechanic of F4F fighters and TBM torpedo bombers and later as Driver for the Amerindian Admiral J.J. "Jocko" Clark of WWII Pacific Theater fame. Also an Air Controlman 1956-1958, on the aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge CVS-45, the largest ship of its time to transit the Panama Canal returning from Korean war duty, 1954; and at several Naval air stations. He frequently expressed gratitude for the military officers who mentored him as a young adult. LDS Mission, Central America 1953-56 under Presidents Romney and Wagner. He was the first missionary Elder sent from the new Lewiston, Idaho LDS Ward, 1953. Married Lillian Helen Hales, from Magna, Utah, a teacher in Granite School District, June 1,1959, in Salt Lake LDS Temple: "a girl like a Salem Clipper." BA, Spanish, U. of Utah, 1966. First librarian of new Kearns high school, 1966. Phi Delta Kappa. Granite Teacher's Assoc. Board member and editor. Retired after 30 years as Custodian, Librarian, Media Specialist, English, Reading and Spanish teacher in Granite and Jordan School Districts. Lifetime member LDS Church, holding many positions; ordained a seventy by Bruce R. McConkie; High Priest, West Jordan, Utah, 27th Ward. Fleeing an abusive childhood, he joined the Navy at seventeen, gaining a G.E.D. while in the service. Earlier, at eleven years of age, he had taken his three buddies with him down to the Recruiting office trying to join the Navy on December 8th, the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed. Will and his street pals were mentored during the 1940's by the famous police officer Bud Huddleston while their fathers were away during WWII. He never met a car he didn't like, and enjoyed fixing them; writing poetry all of his life made him an accomplished poet, but a profound inferiority complex kept him from publishing most of it; member, Utah State Poetry Society (UTSPS); letter writer, editorialist; homemaker, craftsman, book collector, genealogist, shootist, guru. Will and Helen served a Spanish ATM mission in Tempe, Arizona, 1992-94 under Presidents Bailey and Allen, making many friends. Will hopes that Heaven will need a librarian, or at least someone to help catalog books, which are everlasting. His last words were: Pardon me, while I go get a Pepsi! Survived by three sons and two daughters: Leander (Diana), Kib (Lily), Wyldn (Joy), Leota (Michael Brown), Seret (Joseph Rafferty); twenty grand-children; eight great-grandchildren; very beloved cousins, nieces and nephews. Surviving siblings: Claudine (Hobart) Luppi; Blanche (Gary) Freeland; Steven (Missy) Pearson. Preceded in death by wife Helen on January 17, 2010; brother Vincent Pearson; parents; sisters Joella Connors, Selma Reed, Nancy Storey. Funeral services will be held Saturday, August 18, 2018, 11:00 a.m. at West Jordan 27th Ward, 2666 West 7000 South, where viewings will be held Friday, August 17th, 6-8:00 p.m. and again prior to services from 10-10:45 a.m. Interment, West Jordan City Cemetery. Services under the direction of McDougal Funeral Home. Place of Birth:Seattle, WashingtonPlace of Death:West Jordan, Utah