Wayne A. Omer

Wayne Albert Omer, 94, of Holladay UT, passed away peacefully November 4, 2016, of natural causes incident to old age.  He was born in Holladay November 30, 1921, to A. Gideon and Leona Sutherland Omer, the third of nine children.  Wayne’s life was deeply rooted in his ancestry and in Holladay.  He grew up in close association with grandparents and extended family, and absorbed the teachings, stories and traditions of these great people.  Active as a youth, he loved baseball, and graduated from Granite High School.  With the world at war, Wayne took a job in the FBI fingerprinting division in Washington DC.  Following Pearl Harbor, Wayne, along with his three brothers and an entire generation, answered our nation’s call to arms.  He served in the Navy and Marines as a torpedo bomber pilot in the South Pacific.  Afterwards, Wayne returned to Holladay and began his life-long profession of jewelry work (with a mid-career change of 12 years as a production manager at Litton Industries).  Working with Norm Berndt, Schubachs, Masseys, and his own company, Wayne created thousands of rings and other masterpieces of jewelry that have become treasured heirlooms to family and friends.  Wayne was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many capacities, especially scouting and music.  His deep love of music and the gospel shone as he conducted choirs and congregations for decades, and shared the history and testimony of sacred music.  Wayne was a story teller with an incredible memory, and a deep passion for family, friends, the gospel, and history.  All who knew him enjoyed the rich sharing of these stories.  But the crowning joy of his life was his family.  His eternal sweetheart, Melva Thunell (1923-2005), also lived in Holladay, where they met and dated.  He proposed while in flight school, and they married in Santa Barbara CA prior to his service in the Pacific.  Following the war, they were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple and settled in Holladay.  There, he built their house, with his own hands, next to his parents, where they lived ever since.  Wayne’s greatest happiness was to gather with family and friends, to share their joys and pains, to laugh and cry at stories, and, in his own way, share his deep testimony of Christ and His Church.  Wayne loved people, made friends easily, maintained relationships, and rejoiced in life.  He will be greatly missed.  Wayne is survived by his children: Marilyn (Brent) Gandre, Sandy UT; Kenneth (Audrey), St. George UT; Robert (Deborah), Herriman UT; Gerald (Denise), North Las Vegas NV; Bradley (Sharol), West Valley City UT; Theodore (Donna), Bettendorf IA; and Mark (Julie), Lehi UT; 36 grandchildren, and 80 great-grandchildren.  He is also survived by sisters Pauline (Andy) Childs, Salt Lake City UT, Josephine (Rulon) Burton, Salt Lake City, UT, Dorothy Anderson, Eagle Mountain, UT, and sister-in-law Noreen Omer, Holladay UT.  A viewing will be held Friday November 11, 6-8 p.m., at the Holladay-Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 Highland Drive, Holladay UT.  Memorial services will be held at the LDS Holladay 24th Ward, 4395 Albright Drive (2145 East) Saturday November 12, 11:00 am, with a viewing prior to the services from 9:00-10:30 a.m.  Interment will be at the Holladay Cemetery.   Deep appreciation is expressed to all who visited Wayne and helped with his care during his final months. Condolences may be left at www.MemorialUtah.com.
Service Information
Viewing November 11, 2016 at 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Memorial Holladay-Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 South Highland Drive, Holladay





Viewing November 12, 2016 at 10:00 - 11:00 AM
LDS Holladay 24th Ward, 4395 Albright Drive (2145 East), Holladay





Funeral Service
November 12, 2016 at 11:00 AM
LDS Holladay 24th Ward, 4395 Albright Drive (2145 East), Holladay