Alvin LaVern Justice Poarch

He was raised in Ophir, a small silver mining town nestled in the rugged Oquirrh Mountains — and he was proud of every bit of it. The son of Belfast, Northern Irish and Scottish immigrants, Alvin was a second-generation man of Celtic stock, and that heritage ran deep in his blood: resilient, warm, and unafraid of hard work.

Life in Ophir was humble by any measure. Alvin grew up in a one-room miner’s home with little more than determination and the wide mountain sky around him. The family’s outhouse stood in lieu of modern comforts, and the schoolhouse where he received his early education was a single room shared by every grade — a building that still stands today as a museum, a quiet monument to the generations of children, including one Alvin Poarch, who learned what they needed to face the world within its walls. He wore that upbringing not as a hardship, but as a badge of honor. It shaped everything about who he became.

At the age of nineteen, Alvin answered his country’s call and enlisted in the United States Navy on January 30, 1961. He served four proud years of active duty, training as a helicopter crewman and rescue swimmer — a fitting role for a man who would spend his life showing up for others. He served aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard and the USS Oriskany during the early months of the Vietnam War, stationed at Naval Air Stations in Jacksonville, Florida, and San Diego, California. The Navy took him far from the mountains of Ophir, and he embraced every port, every ocean, and every horizon with the curiosity and enthusiasm that would define him. He was honorably discharged on January 2, 1965, completing his reserve obligation on January 2, 1967.

With his service to his country fulfilled, Alvin turned his heart toward a different kind of mission. In May of 1965, he accepted the call to serve the Lord as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, departing for Oslo, Norway — a world away from the Utah desert he called home. For two and a half years, he experienced the culture, mastered the language, and fell deeply in love with the Norwegian people and their breathtaking country. He returned home in December of 1967 carrying friendships and memories that stayed with him for the rest of his life.

In March of 1968, Alvin began what would become a 33-year career with Utah Power, starting humbly as a meter reader and earning, through grit, curiosity, and quiet dedication, a place in the Instrument and Control Engineering department. It was a testament to a man who never stopped learning and never settled for less than his best. He retired having become one of the most skilled and trusted members of his team — respected by colleagues who knew they could count on him completely.

In September of 1969, Alvin married Gloria Lovato, and together they built a family and a life, welcoming four children: Lisa, Justin, Jessica, and Lara. Though their marriage later ended, the family they created remained one of his greatest sources of pride and joy.

Later in life, Alvin’s heart found love again. He met the remarkable Deborah Lawrence, and they married on August 14, 2007. Together they shared a joyful chapter full of warmth, companionship, and new adventures — until Deborah’s passing in 2009. He mourned her deeply and carried her memory with grace.

Throughout his life, Alvin was a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, holding many callings with quiet faithfulness. Among his most cherished was serving as a temple worker at the Draper Utah Temple, where he found not only purpose but friendship — forming bonds with fellow workers that enriched his final years immeasurably.

To know Alvin was to be charmed by him. He had a quick wit and a razor-sharp sense of humor, delivered always with the gentleness that made everyone around him feel completely at ease. But above all else, what people will carry with them longest is his kindness — genuine, unconditional, and freely given to every single person he met. It was not an act or an effort for Alvin. It was simply who he was. From the one-room home in the mountains of Ophir to every life he touched along the way, his legacy is one of infinite warmth, and the world is quieter without him in it.

Alvin is preceded in death by his beloved wife Deborah; his parents, Ellen and Archie Poarch; his brother Altus Poarch; and his sisters Margaret Karr and Janet Armstrong. He is survived by his children Lisa (David) Jackson, Justin (Jen) Poarch, Jessica (Tom) Kreifeldt, and Lara (Kurt) Erickson; his stepchildren Brian (Andrea) Ohlson, Steven Ohlson (Elizabet Covarrubias), and Jenifer Phillips; 9 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren who will carry his laughter and his light forward.

The family would like to extend our sincerest gratitude and appreciation to the staff and caregivers at Ashford Assisted Living and Memory Care facility. Along with Renew Hospice Nurses and staff for showing our Father such dignity, respect and most importantly, love.

Services:

A viewing will be held on Thursday, April 16, from 10:00 – 11:45 a.m., followed by funeral services at 12:00 noon at the Buttercup Ward, 1600 East Buttercup Drive (10200 South).

Interment will take place on Monday, April 20, at 1:00 p.m. at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.