Andrew Val Gomez

View the Funeral live by clicking the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81095330746
Meeting ID: 810 9533 0746
We would encourage you to open the link at 10:45am to witness the color guard.
The state of Utah has lost a Pioneer in Emergency Medicine and one of the all-time great First Responders Born April 27, 1941 in Bingham Utah to parents Clotilda (Tilly) Ontiveros and Reuben R. Gomez. He passed away peacefully surrounded by family on December 11, 2020 due to complications related to several autoimmune conditions, NOT COVID. He grew up in a proud and loving Mexican American family surrounded by 7 siblings. His parents taught him to work hard, respect all people, no matter the differences and use his talents and abilities to serve his fellow man. This would be evident in his choice of careers. He attended West and South High Schools graduating in 1959. He served in the Air Force reserves in the medical field before marrying Mary Jeannette Linnarz in1963, later amicably divorced. They were blessed with three children, Mike, Lesli, and April. They were the best parents any child could ask for never missing a game or performance, and providing everything we needed, most importantly love. He later married Beverlee Toone, later divorced, and Karen Lovat, later divorced, but remained close friends. Andy had a love of cars and dirt bikes, and despite never taking auto classes, he could fix anything on 2 or 4 wheels. He was the neighborhood mechanic for all the kids with motorcycles and cars, and would always leave his garage unlocked, allowing the neighborhood kids to use his tools to repair their cars and bikes. Despite some burglaries in the area, he was respected enough that his tools were off limits and never stolen. He enjoyed drag racing at Bonneville raceway and riding motorcycles with family and friends despite more than a few dirt bike injuries. He was an avid fan of the University of Utah, and would sneak into the Einar Nielsen Fieldhouse to watch games before becoming a season ticket holder for basketball and football for over 40 years. In 1969 he was inspired by a close friend, Jack Whipple, to seek a career with the Salt Lake City Fire Department. He was hired as a FireFighter, becoming one of the first Latino FireFighters in the department. In 1972 he became one of the first two EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) in Utah. This would be the start of a long and fulfilling career in Emergency Medicine. In 1974 he was part of the first group of men to be trained as Paramedics. They had to go to Los Angeles for training as there were no programs for Paramedic training in Utah at the time. He, along with his partner, Dale Longman were lucky enough to take the first Paramedic call in Utah. The early years as Paramedics were truly unique, as the 911 program was in its infancy and people were still learning the guidelines to use this service. Consequently, the calls Andy and his partners would respond to were something as mild as a sore throat or a cat stuck in a chimney, or as complicated as an emergency delivery of a baby on the side of the road, a potentially fatal heart attack, gunshot wound or stroke and everything in between. In a career that many times is shortened by the significant trauma a Paramedic deals with on a daily basis, Andy was able to navigate the stress and difficulty of the things he saw and dealt with including the Shilo Inn Murder Suicide, which at the time was the worst murder suicide in Utah. He and his partner, Ken Done, worked on the only family member to survive that tragedy. He continued to serve as a Paramedic for 26 years being the longest acting Paramedic in Salt Lake City from that Inaugural class of 1974. He later served as an ARF (Airport Rescue Firefighter) and retired from the SLC Fire department in 2006. During his years in the department he also flew with Life Flight as a Flight Paramedic, and served on the Emergency response team at Bonneville raceway linking two of his passions, fast cars and emergency medicine. He also had the privilege of serving on the medical team for the 2002 winter Olympics in Utah. As a member of the SLC Fire Department he was part of the union board and an advocate for higher safety standards. He was admired and respected by all he served with including the ER doctors and nurses. As is the case with many FireFighters and Paramedics, he had a second career which was plumbing. While not as glamorous as his first career, plumbing allowed him to meet many different people, many of whom became not just customers but close friends. He was a philanthropist, many times “forgetting” to bill his clients, leading many of his more honest clients to call the home, sometimes years later, asking if Andy was going to send them a bill. Any who knew him, knew they could call on him for anything at any time and he would give of his time, talents, and money to help those in need, never expecting anything in return. He loved his family beyond, always doing even more for them than he did for others, giving of his love, time, talents and anything he had to provide them a better life. He was a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He had a strong testimony of his Savior Jesus Christ and experienced more than a few miracles where his life was spared. He served in many callings. His favorite were his callings with the youth and the scouting program, where he enjoyed High Adventure camps to Jackson Hole, running the snake river with the scouts. He is survived by children, Mike (Karrie) Gomez, Lesli Gomez (Paul Loeschorn), and April Gomez. Siblings, David (Vicki) Gomez, Daniel (Pam) Gomez, Tim (Marilee) Gomez, brother in law Seth Ontiveros, grandchildren, Jordan (Sadie) Gomez, Haleigh (Roberto) Mozombite, Andrew (Kadi) Gomez, Christopher Gomez, Allix Gomez, and Great Grandchildren Lula Grace, Scottie Montana and Houston James. Also, April and Lesli’s 4 legged children. Preceded in death by his parents, siblings, Richard (Janice) Gomez,Carol Ontiveros, Mike Gomez, Jeanie Ferguson. The family wishes to express their thanks to the Doctors and Nurses in the ER and Shock Trauma departments at IMC. When Andy was cared for in the ER those treating him learned of his Paramedic history and called him a hero. Andy said he was just a man doing a job. They in return said “you are our Hero”. Dad, you will always be our hero too!
Funeral services will be December 19, 2020 at 11am at the Pebble Hills Chapel, 8735 South Harvard Park Drive, Sandy, Utah, 84094. Attendance by invitation only due to Covid restrictions.
Viewings, open to all, will be held Friday December 18, 2020 from 6-9pm at Memorial Mortuary, 5850 South 900 East, Murray, Utah,84121 and 1 hour prior to the Funeral on Saturday, December 19, 2020 at the Pebble Hills Chapel. All current mask and social distancing guidelines will be followed at the Viewings and Funeral.
View the Funeral live by clicking the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81095330746
Meeting ID: 810 9533 0746
We would encourage you to open the link at 10:45am to witness the color guard.
Service Information
Viewing December 18, 2020 at 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Memorial Murray Mortuary, 5850 South 900 East, Murray, Utah





Viewing December 19, 2020 at 10:00 - 11:00 AM
Pebble Hills Chapel, 8735 South Harvard Park Drive, Sandy, Utah





Funeral Service
December 19, 2020 at 11:00 AM
Pebble Hills Chapel, 8735 South Harvard Park Drive, Sandy, Utah