George Gary Creer

George Gary Creer St. George, UT

George Gary Creer was born 6 November 1933, in Bancroft, Idaho to David Russell and Genevieve Nuttall Creer, the second of four children. Gary passed away on 20 March 2010, in St. George, Utah due to an accident while horseback riding with his wife of 56 years, Sidney, and with his son, Steven and wife, Marlene Creer.

Gary attended Hamilton Elementary, Roosevelt Junior High, East High and the University of Utah, in Salt Lake City, Utah. For three years, he served his country in the U.S. Navy, Cryptography Section, National Security Agency, Washington D.C.

Gary met his future wife, Sidney Kay Smith while in junior high school. Courtship began during her senior year at East High and they were married 19 February 1954. Together they have four children, 14 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. They are passionate about supporting each one of them in their pursuits and achievements.

For years, Gary enjoyed a sales career representing the business technology, clothing and medical industries. With his work, the Creer family lived in cities around the U.S., including Boston, Dallas, Portland, Kansas City, Buffalo, Breckenridge, Boulder, and Lansing, before moving back to Salt Lake City in 1974. More recently, Gary and Sidney lived in the Park City and Midway areas, and in 1999 settled in St. George, Utah where they owned and operated a custom screening business.

A life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gary was ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood by Elder Ezra Taft Benson in 1954, and served in church callings such as a stake missionary, Young Men's President, Explorer Scout Leader and most recently, High Priest Group Leader and Ward Employment Specialist.

Gary's hobbies and interests included hunting and fishing, leather crafts, photography, rifle and pistol reloading, fine arts (graphite pencil) and skiing. Gary was a certified ski instructor and also served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Jr. Alpine Ski Team in the late 1960s. In his later years, he loved horse packing and training, cowboy poetry recitations and playing an occasional game of golf. From 2005 to 2008, he was privileged to help design and build an equestrian facility in Ivins, Utah.

Gary is survived by his devoted wife, Sidney, and his four children: Jennifer (Richard) Kohler of St. George; Steven (Marlene) Creer, also of St. George; Jeffrey (Darci) Creer of Mission Viejo, CA; and Michael (Barbara) Creer of Las Vegas. Gary's grandchildren are: Tonya (Stacy) Pierce, Tara (Bobby) Paddock, Andrea (Scott) Sato, Heidi Kohler, Carson Creer, Niklaus Kohler, Cameron (Samantha) Creer, Michael J. Creer, Dan Creer, Kathryn (Jeremy) Clover, Samuel Creer, and Matthew Riley Creer. Bradley Creer and Noelle Kohler, preceded Gary in death. His great-grandchildren are Ethan Pierce, Kaleb Pierce, Asher Pierce, Sydney Sato and Levi Pierce. Gary is also survived by his two brothers and sister: Clare (Maurine) Creer, Ralph (Jairene) Creer, and Jeanine (Eugene) Larsen.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 27, 2010, at 12:00 p.m. at the Sunset LDS 3rd Ward Chapel, 415 N. Westridge Dr., St. George, UT. Visitations will be held Friday, March 26th, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Metcalf Mortuary, 288 W. St. George Blvd., St. George, UT and on Saturday from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. at the chapel, prior to services. Interment will be at the Tonaquint Cemetery, 1777 S. Dixie Dr., St. George, UT. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the LDS Church's Perpetual Education fund (pef.lds.org) or Humanitarian Services, at (ldsphilanthropies.org). Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, (435) 673-4221. Please visit our website at www.metcalfmortuary.com for condolences, and funeral listings.