Vern Willis Call

 Vern Willis Call, son of Lamont and Ruth Pettit Call, passed away on April 14, 2024.  Vern was born September 25, 1934 and spent his youth pursuing boyhood adventures in West Ogden.  He graduated from Ogden High School and attended Weber State College where he was the school photographer.  At Weber State, he began a seven decade long friendship with a group known as “the Ogden Gang” which later became the “Romeos” (Retired Old Men Eating Out) whom he cherished deeply.  

A passionate learner, he obtained his BS, MS and Ed.D. degrees from Utah State University and went on to spend his career in education with the Ogden City Schools as an administrator and as a junior high school principal where he was known as “Dr. Call” to thousands of students.  

He was sealed in Salt Lake Temple to his first love, Barbara Behling, and they raised six children together.  After Barbara’s untimely death in 1986, Vern found love again with Mayumi Mukai whom he married for time in 1992 in the Ogden Temple.  

A lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ and devoted member of His Church, he served as bishop of Ogden 44^th Ward, Waikiki Ward, and Monoa Ward in Hawaii.  He also held leadership positions in the Weber Heights Stake in Ogden, the Foxhill Ward in North Salt Lake and in Nanjing, China. In retirement, he and Mayumi served as missionaries in Hiroshima, Japan and at the LDS Humanitarian Center in Utah. He volunteered as Principal at Mikuni International College, Yuzawa, Japan and as a missionary for Pathway Connect in Utah.  He traveled the world and made friends wherever he went.  

His special interests included reading, sumo wrestling and physical fitness. He was an avid jogger for 35 years earlier in life and later in life swam a mile or more three times weekly until January of this year.  His poetry recitals, storytelling, singing and quick wit will be missed by all who knew him. 

Survived by wife, Mayumi, children, Natalie Call; Chris (Nancy) Call; David (Dana) Call; Julie Call; Jennifer (Doug) Shepherd; Matthew (Alysja) Call; Robert (Chantelle) Mukai; Kevin (Kristen) Mukai; brother Monte Call; sister Kay (Stan) James; 22 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, and splendid neighbors and friends.

Preceded by wife, Barbara, parents, sister Jeannie Lubin, grandsons Dallin Shepherd and Chance Mukai, and daughter-in-law Leisa Mukai.

Funeral service to be held on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at the Foxhill Ward Chapel, 200 Eagle Ridge Dr., North Salt Lake at 11:00 a.m. There will be a viewing the preceding evening April 22 at the Foxhill Ward Chapel from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. and before the funeral service from 9:00 until 10:30. Interment at the Lindquist’s Washington Heights Memorial Park, South Ogden, Utah next to Barbara. 

Services will be live-streamed and available the day of the services by scrolling to the bottom of Vern’s obituary page at: www.lindquistmortuary.com where condolences may also be shared.