Francis Warnick

Francis Marion Warnick

1916-2015

Francis Marion Warnick passed away at home on the morning of June 13, 2015.  He was born on October 17, 1916 in Deseret, Utah to Parley Peter and Grace Cropper Warnick.  He grew up on a farm in Hinckley, Utah and graduated from Hinckley High School in 1934.  He graduated from Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University) in Logan Utah in 1938 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and was employed at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for 36 years helping develop the water resources of the western United States.

He met Loal Beck at Utah State and eventually they were married on September 5, 1939 in the Manti LDS Utah Temple.  They are the parents of four children, Bonnie (David) Badger of Nampa, ID; Ray Beck (Myrna); Jolene (Jim) Ficklin of Las Cruces, NM; and Christine Christensen married to Mike Murphy of Blanding, Utah. There are 15 grandchildren, 43 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren.

During his career at the Bureau of Reclamation he was assigned to Ogden, Salt Lake City and Vernal, Utah; Gunnison, Colorado; Boise, Idaho; and Boulder City, Nevada.  He felt that a key contribution was his involvement in the planning and construction of the Weber Basin Reclamation Project. He also served as a consultant to the National Water Resources Commission, the Taiwanese Government and the country of Honduras.

He retired in 1974 and returned to North Ogden where they built their dream home and enjoyed gardening, rock hounding, and travel.  He was a life member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and an active member of the Ogden Engineer Club.  He served on the North Ogden Planning Commission for 11 years and was Mayor of North Ogden for 4 years.

He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and served in many church callings, in the stakes and wards in which he lived.  He was an ordinance worker for 5 ½ years in the Ogden Utah LDS Temple and served 18 months as a service missionary for water matters.

Due to limited eyesight he moved at the age of 89 to Nampa, ID where he resided at the home of his daughter, Bonnie, where he enjoyed walks around the neighborhood, keeping up with the news on TV and radio, and visits from his many grandchildren.

Francis is survived by his daughters, Bonnie, Jolene and Christine and his many grand, great, and great-great grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Loal; son, Ray; granddaughter, Robin Warnick; brothers, Calvin and Waldo and grandson-in-law, Allen Gunoe.

The family is very grateful to St. Alphonsus Hospice and caregivers, Sara, Kelly, and Lenora for the kind and compassionate care and assistance given during his last months.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 2 p.m. at LDS Chapel at 386 East Elberta Drive, North Ogden.  Friends may meet family on Saturday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the church.  Interment, Ben Lomond Cemetery, North Ogden.  Utah arrangements entrusted to Lindquist’s North Ogden Mortuary and Idaho arrangements entrusted to Zeyer Funeral Chapel of Nampa, ID.

Donations may be made in his honor to the Idaho Commission for Libraries Talking Book service at http://libraries.idaho.gov/page/donate , Utah State Library for the Blind, 250 N 1950 W, Suite A, Salt Lake City, Utah 84116 and/or to the Perpetual Education Fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.