Loren A. Stoddard
1919 ~ 2008
Loren A. Stoddard, at the age of 89, passed away due to pneumonia and complications of Alzheimer's May 10, 2008.Loren was born April 14, 1919 in Burley, Idaho to Asa A. and
Margaret Owen Stoddard.
Loren leaves behind Helen Joe Stoddard, his wife of 65 years. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple for time and all eternity. He also will be missed by his sister, Mary (95) of Woodland, CA; and his sons and their wives, Eric (Marie), Mark (Elizabeth), Dan and Kris (Dawn) Stoddard; and his 21 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren.
Loren was preceded in death by their son, Kim Stewart Stoddard as well as Loren's brothers, Eugene, Aaron and Bill (Harold); his parents and two grandsons, Zachary and Sean Stoddard.
At the age of four, Loren's family left their potato farm in Idaho and traveled by covered wagon to Oregon and to Gridley, California, where his father worked as a farm worker until his death when Loren was 11.
The family persevered and helped to earn their living through their dance band where Loren played trumpet. All earned their university degrees, with Loren attending BYU, University of Illinois and finally getting a Master's in Engineering from Arizona State University.
At the outbreak of World War II in Europe, Loren enlisted in the Army Air Corps and became a pilot. He was stationed at Hickham Field when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He was awarded several medals for valor. Loren piloted cargo planes for two years in the South Pacific before transferring to a B-24. As a squadron commander on his 13th bombing run over Saipan, he fell back to protect a crippled airplane. He was shot down but the crippled bomber escaped. With the surviving members of his crew, they were held in a Saipan POW camp and later in Tokyo Bay for 15 months until the end of the war.
He returned home to start a construction company but was soon recalled into active duty where he remained a pilot and engineer and flew C-130s in the Vietnam War. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1970 after tours of duty in Germany, Turkey, England, Taiwan and numerous states of the USA.
In the 1970's he started a construction company in Auburn, California where he built homes, apartments and offices in northern California and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He was joined by several of his sons in the company.
In 1980 he closed the company and moved to Salt Lake City to supervise the international construction projects for the LDS Church.
He then served as a Mission President with Helen Joe in 1981-84 in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Mission. He and Helen Joe later served another mission in England in 1993-94 where they worked on the 1881 British Genealogical Census Project.
Upon returning home they again served as ordinance workers and
Loren served as a Sealer in the Salt Lake Temple until the onset of Alzheimer's.
He's also served his Church in many capacities as a Home Teacher, leader of Young Men's programs, a Bishop, member of a Mission and District presidency in England, seminary teacher among many callings he willingly accepted and fulfilled.
Loren was a builder of people and leaders. He lived by his principles of duty, honor and love of God.
In lieu of flowers please make donations to the LDS Perpetual Education Fund.
A viewing will be held Tues., May 13 at the Larkin Mortuary at 260 E. South Temple, Salt Lake at 6-8 p.m.
The funeral is Wednesday, May 14 at the Salt Lake Stake Center, 142 W. 200 N, SLC. The viewing will start at 9:30 a.m. and the service at 11 a.m. Burial will be at the Larkin Sunset Lawn Cemetery, 2350 E. 1300 S., Salt Lake City, Utah.