Alan F Mecham

Our most loved husband, father, and grandfather, Alan Frame Mecham, 74, passed away peacefully while surrounded by his loved ones on December 2, 2015. Alan had the privilege to be born to Janet Frame and Leonidas DeVon Mecham on January 31, 1941. Alan was the third of four brothers, who all loved and emulated their parents’ outstanding examples.

As a boy, Alan spent his leisure time in various ways. He enjoyed riding his bike, playing board games with his brothers for hours, helping his father index genealogy, collecting stamps, and his personal favorite, building and tearing down repeatedly a tree house and forts on an empty lot near his home on 700 East. This boyhood hobby of carpentry continued into his adulthood, as he spent many of his few leisure hours restoring, remodeling, and repairing his vintage 1930’s Spanish home.

As a teen he earned money while painting curbs, lifeguarding at Fairmont Park swimming pool, and working at Snelgrove Ice Cream dipping up generous-sized scoops for his friends. Alan was a self-starter, teaching himself tennis, golf, and downhill skiing. His greatest love in high school was his old Model-T Ford which he enjoyed restoring. His all-around favorite teen past time was playing church basketball with his brothers.

After graduating from South High, Alan was called to serve an LDS mission in the Western States where he discovered his passion and gift for teaching the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Teaching was Alan’s favorite way to serve, influencing many throughout his life to choose greater good.

Later, while attending the University of Utah, Alan worked as a Janitor cleaning the art building where he met his bride-to-be, Ann Dunkley of Ogden. Alan swept Ann off her feet with his handsome looks, kindly gentleman behavior, and simple goodness, which soon took them to the Salt Lake Temple in 1964. After graduating cum laude in accounting from the U, and as voted most outstanding business student, Alan and Ann drove their Volkswagen bus to New York City where he graduated from Columbia University with his Juris Doctorate of Law degree in 1968. He then returned to Utah where he began his career as a tax and estate attorney with Van Cott Bagley, Cornwall & McCarthy, working with them for 29 years before going into a solo practice for 17 years. Alan also served a four-year term as the President of the Salt Lake City School board.

Alan’s greatest treasure was his beloved wife and 12 children, who have all given him his greatest joy. Alan and Ann had an open-door policy in their home for fostering children who needed love and direction. His qualities of love, sensitivity, empathy, fair-mindedness, gentleness, sincerity, pure-heartedness, faith, respect, and humility endeared him not only to his admiring family, but to all those who met him. After spending 51 years of his life committed to his singular focus of providing, serving, sacrificing, teaching, guiding, and loving his own family, he recently was compelled to testify, “The Family is True!”

Alan is survived by his brothers Ralph (Barbara), Paul (Joan) and DeVon (JoAnn); his wife Ann, and their children: Thomas (Nanette), Mary (Daniel) Nelson, Jane (Richard) Boyden, Joseph (Emily), Sarah (Jared) Johnsen, John (Erin), Rebekah (Douglas) Dent, Elizabeth, (Gregory) Lieber, Jacob, Martha, Rachel, Joshua and their 49 grandchildren.

Funeral services: Wednesday, December 9, 12:00 noon, at Parley’s 1st Ward, 2350 South 2100 East, Salt Lake City.

Viewings: Tuesday, December 8, from 6:00-8:00 pm, and Wednesday from 10:30-11:30; both in the Parley’s 1st Ward house.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be mailed/deposited to any Zion’s Bank; Account #980589782 for Alan Mecham Donation Education Fund. OR for an On-line donation click on this link: https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/6cyb/alan-mecham-education-fund