Rex LeRoy Hurst, 81, died March 11, 2004 at Sunshine Terrace surrounded by loved ones.

Rex LeRoy Hurst was born on March 10, 1923 at the family home in Payson, Utah. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps at the age of 19 and was a pilot in World War II until 1945. After basic training in Texas and twin-engine training at Brooks Field, he served as a flight trainer at Randolph Field before being sent to Europe. He had several narrow escapes, one time landing in Scotland without even enough gas to taxi. He was involved in transporting equipment and people.

After the Battle of the Bulge, he served as part of the utility squadron for the 8th Air Force, involved in transporting the wounded to hospitals and taking supplies to various destinations.

Rex married the love of his life, Lee Lasson Hurst, on August 26, 1946 in the Salt Lake City temple. Rex completed his BS and MS at Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University) in soil physics and his PhD from Cornell in 1952 in crop ecology, taking only two years to complete his PhD. His dissertation involved daily measurements of crops for two years (which explains his garden hobby).

He joined the Applied Statistics department at Utah State University. He quickly became familiar with the emerging computer equipment as both a tool to support his research and as a service to the registrars office (who shared the equipment). He served as a faculty member and department head in the combined Statistics Computer Science department.

Rex loved the out of doors and was often seen riding his bicycle to and from work. He enjoyed cross-country and downhill skiing. He enjoyed handball, running, boating, water-skiing, hiking, and camping. Rex has had many friends, enjoying cards, square dancing, bowling, and outdoor activities. The highlight of the summer for Rex was going camping and boating with his family. He loved having his family around him.

Rex was a life-long learner, having taken numerous classes in auto-repair, mathematics, woodworking, history, and science. He was a strong proponent of education. While it may be that he felt education was a way to avoid the despair of the depression, it was more likely that he just loved the exhilaration that came from learning something new. Rex has been a walking-encyclopedia for his children and grandchildren.

His example has encouraged his posterity to pursue a college education. He truly loved to learn and was an avid reader. Name anything and Rex could be found repairing, studying it, watering it, eating it, or talking to it about genealogy. At family gatherings, Dad would make his way around the room talking to each member about genealogy. The grandkids referred to it as “being genealogized”. He had an incredible memory; sixty years after entering the service he could relate every stop in route to Europe.

For Rex, work was fun! He has always been a bundle of energy, made possible by his invention of the middle-of-the-room power nap – so named because his idea of a good rest was a ten minute snooze, flat on the floor - a book for a pillow, in the middle of a room full of people.

Since his retirement in 1990, he enjoyed the LDS family history center, acting as associate director for ten years. He cherished the many friends he made doing family history. He loved institute classes and graduated from institute after retirement.

Rex was in his glory in the garden, delighting his friends and family with cucumbers, zucchini, onions, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, peppers, and beans.

Rex is survived by his wife, O’Leah “Lee” Hurst, five children Craig (Jill) Hurst of Ogden, Vicki (Stephen) Allan of Providence, Cherri (Steven) Hart of Rexburg, Gary (Lori) Hurst of Houston, and Steven (Connie) Hurst of Dallas, Texas; twenty grandchildren, one great grand-daughter; sister Beth (Roger) Slade of Bountiful, brothers Dale (Eleana) Hurst, Paul (Dorothy) Hurst, and Bryon (Nelda) Hurst.

Rex was preceded in death by his parents, Paul O. and Zora Hurst, sister, June Pauline Hurst, and one granddaughter, Rachael Hurst.

Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, March 15, 2004 at the Allen-Hall Mortuary. Friends may call from 6-8 p.m. on Sunday at the Allen-Hall Mortuary, and on Monday 9:30-10:30 a.m. Internment will be at the Logan City Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent to the family at Allen-Hall Mortuary.