Obituary: BADGER, BRIANT

Briant Garr Badger1918 ~ 2013Briant Garr Badger, age 94, beloved eternal companion and treasured father and grandfather, passed away peacefully on May 25, 2013, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was born November 5, 1918, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Jesse T. and Mary Swan Badger, the youngest of nine siblings. He graduated from South High, then the University of Utah in 1940. He served honorably as an LDS missionary in the Eastern States Mission. Upon his release, he was recommended for a chaplaincy in the U.S. Navy. He trained at William and Mary's College in Williamsburg, VA, served at Cherry Point, NC, and Norfolk, VA, and completed his assignment in 1945 in San Diego, CA. Bri met Wanda West at a church dance and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on September 20, 1943, beginning an eternally devoted and loving romance. Together they were parents of nine wonderful children, all of whom they cherish: Stephen (Sandra), Barbara (Rich) McKeown, Becky Harding, Briant (Cindy), David (Eva), William (Cindy), Mary Jane, Robert (Annette), and John (Chaconne). He has 33 grandchildren and 50 great-grandchildren. Bri was a respected businessman and entrepreneur, owning and operating several retail stores, including Bradley Badger and Furniture Land. He closed out his professional career as the business administrator for Granite School District. He had an unforgettable sense of humor and he loved sports, particularly golf and racquetball, and was an avid basketball player in his youth. He loved to travel and took great delight in family trips to Israel, Book of Mormon lands, and Church history sites.Throughout his life, Bri had a desire to serve the Lord, and an unwavering testimony in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He served in bishoprics, high councils and stake presidencies. He was a sealer in the Salt Lake Temple, and in 1990 he and Wanda had the choice opportunity to serve a mission in Frankfurt, Germany, where he was the executive secretary to the Europe Area Presidency, with Wanda as his secretary. We love you, dear husband, dear dad, and dear grandpa! You have left us a legacy of faith, love and dedication that will carry on throughout your posterity.Bri was preceded in death by all of his siblings and two sons, Stephen and David.Funeral services will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2013, at 11 a.m. at the Monument Park 9th Ward, 1565 S. Foothill Dr., Salt Lake City, Utah. A viewing will be held Wednesday evening, from 6 8 p.m. at Larkin Sunset Lawn, 2350 E. 1300 South, and Thursday from 9:30 10:30 a.m. at the church prior to services.