Myron Barber Child IV

1933 ~ 2018

An eternal optimist, businessman par excellence, scriptural scholar, and honored family man, Myron Child, will be laid to rest on the tenth day of the month of November, two thousand and eighteen, at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Myron Child was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 31, 1933 of Utah parentage, in the midst of the Great Depression. He succumbed to causes incident to age, and passed through the veil on the fifth day of November, two thousand and eighteen, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Our family patriarch reached the well-worn age of eighty-five years.

From infancy, Myron Child grew up on the large family farm in Clinton, Davis County, Utah, where he learned the value of work and industry, a character trait which stayed with him always. His childhood was adventuresome and goal oriented. As a youth he earned his Eagle Scout Award, the first such in Clinton, and also took saxophone lessons from the great Benny Goodman, which prepared him well for solo performances on his alto saxophone. You should hear him play The Flight of the Bumble Bee! At Davis High School, in addition to his scholastic achievements, which included 1st place in State in music, Myron also took his spiritual progression seriously and became seminary president. On a full music scholarship at Weber College, Myron served as president of his sophomore class and was active in student government and debate, his debate partner being Richard Richards, later chairman of the National Republican Party. At the University of Utah he affiliated with Delta Phi and was the organization's fundraiser. Accepted to Harvard medical school, specializing in oral surgery, the advancing student was interrupted in his studies by being drafted during the latter part of the Korean War. Myron, the soldier, was assigned to a base near Aschaffenburg, Germany as a dental assistant. His non-combat military service of two years made it possible for him to experience the cultural richness of Europe while travelling all over the continent in his little Volkswagen with another Utah soldier. While in the military, his mother's only son served as branch president of a military branch of the Church and had great missionary success, which was put to good use when after only one month home from Europe he was sent back across the Atlantic, this time to serve an LDS Church mission to one of the family's ancestral home countries, the Nordic country of Norway. Myron became the only one of his Norwegian-born Grandmother's numerous missionary grandchildren to be sent on a mission to the land of her birth. He grew to respect and admire the stalwart people of this far away land of snow and ice. Due to his love of the gospel and his dedicated work, many responded to the message of the restored gospel. As a youth, his grandmother had given him a book A Daughter of the North by Nephi Anderson. The content made a lasting impression, and had a lingering effect upon him. But not until a couple of years after his mission did he finally find his own Daughter of the North. Elin Synnestvedt was one of the four charming and well-known Synnestvedt sisters in the Norwegian mission; Elin, Vivi, Ella, Karen-Lill. From a fairy-tale existence in a fair-tale land this devoted Latter-day-Saints family immigrated to Zion for the gospel's sake. All four girls married in the temple with Myron and Elin being wedded in the Salt Lake Temple on June 17th, 1960. They welcomed six precious children: Myron V, Desiree, Melanie, Erik, Tiffany, and Peter. This family unit worked, studied, played and prayed together. Their home was a hub nub of activities, for the Child family also welcomed foreign students into this active household of competitive sports events, cultural recitals and church functions. In good times the family went skiing and boating and travelled the world. Oh, the memories! In challenging times they pooled their resources and strengths and triumphed in their labored successes together. Each of their achievements brought their father great joy. They have remained a close knit and eternal family unit. In their 58 years of marriage it seems that it never was just the two of them, for grandchildren and great-grandchildren followed. A son of pioneer heritage, Myron leaves a continuing legacy of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ through his beloved family.

Myron Child loved his work, changing his occupational genre from dentistry to real estate. His natural draw to terra firma was probably awakened in him during childhood as his family farm was voted the most highly developed and neatly kept farm in the State of Utah, as well as to be included in the movie America the Beautiful, made by the United States Government. The Terrace Falls condominiums in downtown Salt Lake City to The Terraces in the heart of Holladay, he built and beautified, providing both abodes and work for many. This entrepreneur's Real Estate projects took him all over the Western United States, with eighteen hour work days being normal. His strength came from love of family and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. His deep faith was the nucleus of his life. A scriptural scholar, Myron began each day with scripture study. He loved the scriptures, quoted them often, and taught them well. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Matthew 7:7.Yes, Myron had the heart of a missionary. Missionary work was second nature to him. He interwove it at every possible occasion: in the military, on his mission, to his family, in the work environment, with his engagements in social circles as well as in his philanthropic endeavors; and close to his heart, in his various life-long Church assignments. He was so pleased to have a grandson and a granddaughter serving Church missions presently. The tears flowed freely when he spoke of them, and of his other grandchildren who have previously served missions and those preparing for missions, and all his grandchildren's noble achievements.

Spoken like a true real estate man, in his farewell to his large family, our patriarch reminded us of the real estate slogan location, location, location when he spoke of the hereafter. As a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather he expected everyone to reach the best location granted a faithful member of the Church who accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and was abiding by His restored truths and precepts.

Saying their ‘till-we-meet-again are his wife, his six children and spouses, twenty grandchildren and several spouses, five great-grandchildren, a sister, Kathleen Folkman, three sisters-in laws, four brothers-in-laws, and numerous additional relatives in the extended family circle. He was preceded in death by his parents, Myron and Mable Child, three sisters, and a daughter-in-law.

The memorial service for Myron Child will be held at noon on Saturday, the tenth of November, two thousand and eighteen at the Mount Olympus Stake Chapel at 4176 Adonis Drive (3950 East 4176 South). Viewing will be at 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. A special luncheon for family and friends will follow the burial service.

Online condolences and memories may be offered at www.larkincares.com. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the General Missionary Fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We will always remember you, dear Myron. And at summer's end, when the fruit ripens, we will remember you once more - and all your laborious efforts in planting your orchard, and lovingly tending it, and sharing the fruit, - and the joy you received from it.

Until we meet again, our dear Myron.