May 26, 1924 ~ January 25, 2020 – (age 95)Gordon Odell Bigler of Mantua, Utah passed away peacefully from natural causes surrounded by family on Saturday, January 25, 2020.
To his wife, Bonnie Rae Gardner, he was known as Gordon. To his children Jeffery (Claudia), Larry (Debbie), Karen Browne (Greg), Dean, John and Richard (Amy) he was known as Dad. To his grandchildren and great-grandchildren he was known as Grandpa and to the dozens who worked at the Brigham City Taco Time he was known simply as Mr. B. But regardless of how you knew him, he was loved by all.
He was born May 26,1924 in Collinston, Utah to Lawrence Odell Bigler and Chloe Juanita (Neat) Loveland. He graduated from Bear River High School in Garland, Utah and later graduated from Utah State University with a degree in accounting. While attending USU he was part of a singing group where he met Bonnie Rae. They were married September 20, 1948 in the Logan Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He served in the United States Air Force in Washington State, California, Korea and taught ROTC at the University of Utah leaving active duty as a captain and eventually retiring as a major in the reserves.
When he left the Air Force in 1960, they bought a home in Mantua where he lived until moving into the Maple Springs assisted living facility in Brigham City in 2013. In 2019 he was moved to the George E. Wahlen Veterans Home in Ogden, Utah where he passed away.
He worked for many years at Thiokol, was partners in an underwriting agency in Salt Lake City and owned and operated Mr. B’s restaurant in Tremonton, Utah, as well as fast food restaurants including a Frost Top in Ogden and several Taco Time restaurants in Brigham City and Salt Lake City.
He loved to sing and had a beautiful tenor voice, performing solos, duets and in choirs – eventually singing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for 20 years with Bonnie Rae (retiring in 1983) touring with them in the United States and many foreign countries.
He also served in the Young Men organization, was the ward choir director in Mantua 1st Ward for many years, and wrote and directed numerous award-winning road shows.
He was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, mother and father-in-law, and a younger brother, Charles Eugene He is survived by his brother Kenneth along with six children and his 50 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Friday, January 31, 2020 at 11:00am at the Mantua LDS 1st Ward Chapel, 237 Willard Peak Road, Mantua, Utah. A viewing will be held January 30, 2020 from 6:00 – 8:00pm at Myers Mortuary, 205 South 100 East, Brigham City and from 9:30 – 10:30am prior to funeral services at the Church. Interment in the Mantua Cemetery.
The family would like to thank staff members at the Maple Springs assisted living facility in Brigham City and the George E. Wahlen Veterans Home in Ogden for the loving care they gave to Dad over the last several years.
Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at myers-mortuary.com