Larry Wayne Martindale

Larry Wayne Martindale, 75, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 12, 2023, at the George E. Wahlen Veterans Center in Ogden, Utah, due to complications from a recent stroke, plasmacytoma, and other health issues. After nearly 17 years, he was finally reunited with his beloved wife, Sue, and heaven undoubtedly was full of much celebration and rejoicing after such a long time apart.

Larry was born in Hailey, Idaho on May 7, 1947, to William Doryl and Jean Campbell Martindale. He was the 4th of 5 children born to this couple, having 2 older brothers and 2 sisters, an older and a younger. He started his early elementary school years in Hailey, and completed 4th to 6th grades in Blackfoot, Idaho after his parents separated and later divorced. The family moved to Logan, Utah, where Larry attended Logan Jr. High for his 7th grade. His mother, an elementary school teacher, received a teaching assignment in Southern Utah and he completed 8th grade in Cedar City, Utah. From there, the family moved to Sunset, Utah where he attended the brand-new Clearfield High School for his Freshman through Senior years, graduating in 1965.

Every summer from age 8 to 14, the family would move to Logan where his mother attended school at Utah State Agricultural College. The summer after moving from Cedar City, Larry had the opportunity to work on his cousin Dorothy and Don Little’s Dairy Farm in Lewiston, Utah. 

When Larry turned 19, he was called to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was called to the Great Lakes Mission, which included Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. After one year, the mission was divided, and he was assigned to the Ohio Mission. His mission provided the foundation for his strong and deep faith.

Upon completion of his mission, he returned home and started attending Weber State College, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Art in 1977. He also pursued a Master’s degree in Psychology at Brigham Young University in Provo.

On May 7, 1969, Larry’s 22nd birthday, he was drafted into the United States Army and reported to Fort Ord, California for duty. Just prior to leaving, he received a special blessing from Patriarch George Reid, that sustained him through the trials he would be facing. He continued training at Fort Benning, Georgia for a month and a half, and while they tried to persuade him to attend NCO school, he didn’t want an army career. After a month-long leave, he was deployed to the Vietnam War in the 4th Infantry Division. He witnessed intense combat and was critically injured during an attack in the jungles of Cambodia. From shrapnel and the blast, he suffered head injuries and brain concussions which caused constant ringing in his ears for the rest of his life. During his service he was also exposed to Agent Orange, which contributed to additional health issues, including his recent cancer diagnosis. He remained in service after his injury and completed his Army assignment in Vietnam and received an honorable discharge. He received a Purple Heart and several other awards and honors for his exemplary military service. 

When he returned home to Sunset, he went to work as a civilian federal employee at Hill Air Force Base. He began in the tire shop as a mechanic and gradually continued to progress in his career, earning many accolades and awards for his contributions to the United States Air Force. At the time of his retirement in 2004, he was serving as the Program Manager of Photo Reconnaissance, which equipped F-16s with state-of-the-art photography equipment, drawing on his experience as an amateur photographer and his love of cutting-edge technology. 

On November 30, 1979, Larry married Susan Arlene Whalen in the Salt Lake Temple. They have 2 children, Megan and Josh. Larry’s service as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his experience in the military set the stage for the rest of his life. He had a firm testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ and a deep knowledge of gospel doctrine. He was an active member and served in many capacities, including High Priest Group Leader, Stake High Councilman, and Bishopric Counselor in the Clearfield 22nd Ward.

Larry was very skilled in many ways and had a love of learning how to do new things. He loved sports but blew out his knee playing football and became the team manager of Clearfield High’s basketball and football teams. He was an avid BYU and Utah Jazz fan and often invited friends and neighbors over to watch the games together. He was an exceptionally skilled artist who created many beautiful paintings. Using his mechanical talents, he purchased a VW bug from his sister-in-law and built his beloved Bradley GT kit car. Because of his career working so closely with aircraft, he had a love of aviation and all things mechanical, and he used his tools, experience and knowledge to help many family, friends, and neighbors work on their vehicles and other projects. Another one of Larry’s favorite pastimes was putting together at least 100 model airplanes that he flew from the ceiling in his basement.

Larry was preceded in death by both his parents; his wife, Sue; and an older brother, Dennis. He is survived by his 2 children, Megan (Brian) Burt of Syracuse, Utah, and Joshua Martindale of Clearfield, Utah. He had a special bond with his two grandchildren, Brayden and Sarah Burt, with whom he had many adventures, all kinds of mischief, and wonderful memories. He is also survived by his older brother, Alan (Coleen) Martindale of Mountain Green, Utah; and his two sisters, Lindy Rylean Dilworth of Clearfield, Utah and Phyl Smelich of Butte, Montana.

The family would like to make special acknowledgement and express our deep appreciation to the Bristol Hospice team and the angelic care workers who assisted Larry with tremendous love and compassion during his time at the George E. Wahlen Ogden Veterans Home.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project or to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation at the following links below:

https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org

https://hope.huntsmancancer.org/littlered/megs-cancer-fundraiser

Funeral service will be held 11:00AM Friday, January 20, 2023, at the Lindquist’s Syracuse Mortuary, 869 South 2000 West, Syracuse, Utah. Friends may visit the family on Thursday, January 19, 2023, from 6:00 to 8:00PM and from 9:30 to 10:30AM Friday morning at the mortuary. Interment, Syracuse City Cemetery, 1250 South 1000 West, Syracuse, Utah.

Condolences may be shared, and live streaming of the services may be viewed by scrolling to the bottom of Larry’s obituary page at: www.lindquistmortuary.com

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