Max Cleal Sperry

Our beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, Max Cleal Sperry, age 92, passed away on October 4, 2023. He was a true warrior and an example of enduring to the end, having survived a heart valve transplant a year ago and more recent physical ailments that required an extended stay in IMC’s trauma ICU before passing of natural causes incident to age.

Max was born January 6, 1931, in Nephi, Utah, a place he truly loved, to William George Sperry and Marion LaPreal Goble Sperry. He had 4 brothers, William (Billy), Jack (Pete), Edward (Ted), and Kenneth, and 1 sister, Karen, all of whom preceded him in death. Max grew up in Nephi as the son of a sheep farmer and he and his brothers spent their youth herding sheep on the Skyline Drive. Max dearly loved his sister and brothers, who were all very close.

He loved sports, having starred in baseball and basketball at Juab High School. He also loved horses and working as a rancher with both his parents’ sheep and his in-laws (Henry Marsden and Virginia Whitlock Gribble) cattle. He was a great farmhand and could do anything and everything that was necessary to maintain either a herd of sheep or cattle. He rode horses with his sweetheart, Marva, until the day she could no longer do so.

Following his graduation from Juab High School, Max enlisted in the Army, trained in Texas, and was stationed in Germany for 2 years proudly serving his country. After his discharge from the Army, he attended Utah State University and graduated with a degree in accounting. After graduation from Utah State, he enrolled at the University of Utah and was awarded a master’s degree in accounting. While attending college he would often go to the singles dances in Manti. At one of those dances, this handsome young man from Nephi in Juab County met his beautiful sweetheart and eternal companion, a cattle rancher’s daughter from Gunnison, Sanpete County. They were married for time and all eternity in the LDS Manti Temple on June 4, 1954.

Max and Marva spent most of their years together in East Millcreek and Holladay, raising three children. After graduating from the University of Utah, Max started his professional career as an auditor with the Big 8 accounting firm of Coopers and Lybrand. Working at Coopers he served one of their biggest clients, Kennecott Copper Corporation. He left Coopers and accepted a position in senior management at Kennecott Utah Copper where he worked until he retired. He was also active in youth sports programs coaching his sons in both baseball and basketball and serving as the President of his local Little League baseball association. Even in his 80s and 90s, he enjoyed attending Olympus High basketball games.

Max was a wonderful father who taught his children many things through his example of integrity, hard work, drive, and compassion for others. He set high expectations for his children and never faltered in his commitment to help them meet and exceed those expectations. He always stood up for what was right and never wavered in his love of the gospel of Jesus Christ, leading by example and teaching his children integrity in all things and to never ever give up or quit from anything that they agreed to do.

Max was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in many callings in his ward and stake including as the Bishop of the Holladay 4th ward. He loved his ward and neighborhood, and to him, they were part of his family. He also served with his sweetheart Marva, whom he affectionately called “Skipper”, as a guide at the LDS Conference Center. Through his service, those with whom he came in contact benefited from his testimony of the gospel and the love of others. After Skipper received her second kidney transplant, they volunteered at the Transplant Clinic at IMC for several years, helping those who needed transplants and encouraging others to become donors.

Dad loved his garden, fishing, sports, mountains, riding horses with his Skipper, LDS Church books, Cheetos, SEE’s suckers, soup, and muffins. Above all else, he loved his family and enjoyed nothing more than being with them. Every holiday was filled with family gatherings. He would always tell each family member “YOU ARE VERY SPECIAL TO ME”. He treated each member of the family with genuine love and concern and would always support them in their athletic activities, performances, or achievements. We always knew he’d be there when we would look up in the stands for the person who was cheering the loudest. Like Skipper, he lived his life with dignity, faith, determination, and class, always trying to see the positive in life and in others.

We will always remember his kindness, his motivating nature, his encouragement, his example of Christ-like service to and love of others, his tender spirit, and his selflessness in providing more for his family than he ever required for himself. He will always be our leader and our example of a life filled with Christ-like love and a quest for all his family to return TOGETHER to their eternal home. Though our hearts ache for our loss, we find great joy in knowing and understanding our Heavenly Father’s eternal plan.

Max is survived by his children, David (Lori) Sperry, Mark (Tiffany) Sperry, and his son-in-law Stanford H. Durrant (Dianne), 14 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, and 2 sisters-in-law Nancy Sperry, Nephi, Utah and Kathy Sperry, Cedar City, Utah. Preceded in death by his eternal companion Marva, his daughter Dianne, his parents, brothers, sister, in-laws, and many other loved ones and friends. We find solace in the fact that now our sweet father, grandfather, and great-grandfather has been reunited with Skipper, his sweet daughter Dianne, his parents, brothers and sister, in-laws, and many other relatives and friends that he loved so much.

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon on Friday, October 13, 2023, at the Holladay South Stake Center, 4917 South Viewmont St. (2085 East), Holladay, Utah. Friends may call at the Stake Center Thursday evening from 6:30-8:00 p.m. or one hour prior to services. Interment: Larkin Sunset Gardens.

To watch the recorded service, click on the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/iMnrbn8MCY_TRyrUfltXwuStD7dLPMnQOmD2_FoZqaEv8Piiv48bkp8vWDWi2Jh7.P6_KJVIw0rOvs6R9?startTime=1697218328000