Passed away from natural causes on Friday, December 30, 2016, peacefully at the age of 98. He was born the second son of Charles P. and Gladys Harman Rudd in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 18, 1918. He married Marva Sperry on June 5, 1941 in the Salt Lake Temple. He attended South High School and the University of Utah.
He is survived by children Lee (LeeAnn), Matthew (Nancy), Barbara (Clark) Jolley, Rebecca (Robert) Lingard, Susan (Michael) Taylor, Charles (Annette), Glenda (Steve) Western, and David (Aimee), brothers Calvin (LaVon) and Jack, 41 grandchildren, 96 great grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren. Preceded in death by his wife Marva, parents, brother Sam, four grandchildren (Annie Rudd, triplets: Spencer Dean Taylor, Samuel Glen Taylor, and Sarah Jane Taylor) and two great grandchildren (Katie Andersen and Elizabeth Ann Lingard)
From 1938-40 he served a mission in New Zealand under President Matthew Cowley. Glen was the last surviving Matthew Cowley missionary. He returned to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands 28 times during his long life of missionary, temple, and welfare service. His heart never left the people of the Pacific.
He operated his own poultry business for twelve years, managed welfare square for 25 years, and served at Welfare Services headquarters until his retirement in 1984. During those years, he also served a decade as bishop of the Salt Lake Fourth Ward, member of the Church's General Welfare Committee, president of the Florida Mission (1966-69), president of the New Zealand Wellington Mission (1978), president of the Corpus Christi Texas Mission (1991), counselor in the Salt Lake Wilford Stake Presidency, and regional representative. He presided over the New Zealand Temple from 1984-87. He also received the Silver Beaver Award.
From 1987-92 he served as a General Authority Seventy. During that time, his assignments included president of the Pacific and North America Southwest Areas, and as counselor in the North America West Area Presidency. He also served as assistant executive director of the Missionary and Temple departments. After his release from the seventy, the First Presidency assigned him to write a history of the church welfare program. The church published the history entitled Pure Religion in 1995.
He continued full-time service in Church Welfare until his death. Through the course of his service, he traveled as companion to 76 different general authorities and participated in more than 900 stake conferences. 60 of those conference trips were with 7 apostles who would later serve as President of the Church. At the time of his death, he was the oldest surviving general authority of the Church.
A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, January 4, 2017, at 12:00 pm at the Kenwood 2nd Ward LDS Chapel, 1765 E. 3080 S., SLC, Utah. Viewings will be held Tuesday, January 3rd, 6-8 pm at Larkin Mortuary, 260 E. South Temple, SLC, Utah, and Wednesday at the church prior to the service from 10:00-11:30 am. Interment at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
The Rudd Family, his associates in the church, and friends throughout the world will miss Glen's boundless energy, sense of humor, tireless service, and unceasing devotion to the poor and needy.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Glen L. Rudd Foundation at www.glenlrudd.org, which provides education to Polynesian youth, or make a generous donation to the Church's fast offering fund. Your kindness will allow his legacy of charity and love to continue.
