REED HILL THATCHER was
born on July 10, 1933, to Walter Alva and Erma Hill Thatcher, and passed beyond
the veil to be reunited with them, on February 4, 2017. Reed was raised
on a small farm on West Mountain, near Payson, Utah, where, from a very early
age, he worked milking cows, thinning beets, and “tromping hay.” He
summed up his feelings about farm life in a short poem:
I’ve helped scratch out
a living from this poor, rocky dirt
Built up a few muscles,
and learned how to work
When I leave this old
farm, I sure hope I can find
Some job where they’ll
pay me for using my mind!
He did leave the “old
farm” to join the Army, and got shipped off to Germany for two years, before
coming home to marry his sweetheart, Gloria Hiatt, in the Salt Lake
Temple. Together, they raised three children, Brent, Randy and Becky, and
were eventually blessed with seven grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
He spent most of his
career in public education, as a wood-shop instructor, a counselor, an
administrator, and finally as the Director of Vocational Education for the
Jordan School District, where he was instrumental in launching the Jordan
District Technical Center.
While his commitment to
education was resolute, his true love was always woodworking. He built
two separate homes from the foundation up, as an extreme form of ‘sweat
equity,’ before he was 35. He always said that he just loved the smell of
sawdust, and would spend hours in his basement shop, making handcrafted furniture,
lamps, jewelry boxes, wooden tongue-drums, and the like. After retiring
from education, he worked for several years in a cabinet mill, enjoying the
sweet smell of sawdust every day.
He was the official
family photographer and videographer, capturing and chronicling family events
for decades.
Reed is survived by his
wife, Gloria Hiatt Thatcher; two of his children, Randal Bruce Thatcher (Shari)
and Becky Thatcher Nielsen (Glade); his two sisters, Ruth Elmer and Vonda
Hudson; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death
by his parents; his son, Brent; his two brothers, Glen and Nyle; his sister,
Norma Patten; and his grandson, Ryan Nielsen.
Funeral services will be
held at 11:00 AM, on Friday, February 10, at the Highland 7th Ward building (10115
S. Yorkshire Dr. In South Jordan), with a viewing beforehand, from 10:00 to
10:45 AM. Interment at the Payson City Cemetery.
