CLAIR LEON WYATT
Providence, Utah - Clair Leon Wyatt, 78, died on April
9, 2008 at Sunshine Terrace in Logan, from
complications associated with Alzheimer's disease. He
was born on February 16, 1930 in Logan, to William L.
and Nona Goldsberry Wyatt.
Clair graduated from Logan High School in 1948 and
then served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints in the British Mission from 1950
to 1952. Clair married Carolyn Jensen in the Logan LDS
Temple on March 18, 1955 and two months later
graduated from Utah State University in Electrical
Engineering. Following graduation he was commissioned
as an officer in the United States Air Force, attended
meteorology school at UCLA, and served as a weather
forecaster at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage,
Alaska.
Following service in the Air Force, Clair was hired as
the first employee in the newly formed Space Dynamics
Laboratory at USU in 1959. He earned a MS and PhD in
Electrical Engineering from USU where he spent his
career as a professor of Electrical Engineering and
senior scientist at Space Dynamics Laboratory. He
started the calibration lab at USU and became a
leading world expert in radiometric calibration. Clair
published several books, dozens of articles and
encyclopedia entries, and received awards for his work
in research, teaching and advising students.
Clair retired from USU in 1993 and served a second LDS
mission with his wife Carolyn in the Western Australia
Mission from 1993 to 1994. He then served in the Logan
Utah Regional Family History Center from 1994 to 2005,
concluding his service as the director of the center.
He had a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, loved the scriptures, and served in numerous
church positions including Bishop and scoutmaster. His
favorite calling was scoutmaster--he loved the boys
and the mountains.
He was proud of his ancestors and spent years
researching and documenting their lives. He loved his
family and they were a priority to him. He took his
children and grandchildren on backpacking and canoeing
trips, jeep rides and hikes. His favorite places
included Mt. Logan, the Windrivers, and Canyonlands
and Yellowstone National Parks. He was fully engaged
in life and learning: from studying the stars and
planets to collecting and polishing rocks: from hiking
down desert canyons to sleeping in snow caves; and
from reading the Greek philosophers to modem adventure
stories. He could build or fix anything. He answered
to the call sign NV7B on a lifetime hobby of Ham
Radio.
Clair Wyatt is survived by Carolyn, his loving wife of
53 years; four sons, Stewart (Denise) Wyatt, Boise,
Idaho, Gary (Ranae) Wyatt, Emporia, Kansas, Scott
(Kathy) Wyatt, Ephraim, Utah, and Gordon Wyatt, Las
Vegas, Nevada; one daughter, Nancy (Gary) Jensen,
Logan, Utah; one daughter-in-law, Carma Wyatt, River
Heights, Utah; 20 grandchildren; one
great-granddaughter; and a sister, Carolyn (Max)
Baker, Mendon, Utah.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William L.
and Nona Goldsberry Wyatt; a brother, Bill Wyatt; and
a granddaughter, Gina Wyatt.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Monday, April
14, at the Providence 3rd Ward Chapel, 262 East Canyon
Road, Providence. A viewing will be held Sunday
evening from 7 to 9 p.m. at Allen-Hall Mortuary, 34
East Center Street in Logan and then at the Providence
Chapel from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Burial will be in
the Providence City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent
to the family at Allen Mortuaries.
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