Life is full of surprises....

We received the dreaded phone call Saturday that Mike's dad had passed away.

He was on a horseback ride and was thrown off and died instantly.

Here is the Obituary that we wrote today.

George Gary Creer was born 6 November 1933, in Bancroft, Idaho to David
Russell and Genevieve Nuttall Creer, the second of four children. Gary passed away
on 20 March 2010, in St. George, Utah due to an accident while horseback riding
with his wife of 56 years, Sidney, and with his son, Steven and wife, Marlene Creer.

Gary attended Hamilton Elementary, Roosevelt Junior High, East High and the
University of Utah, in Salt Lake City, Utah. For three years, he served his country in
the U.S. Navy, Cryptography Section, National Security Agency, Washington D.C..
Gary met his future wife, Sidney Kay Smith while in junior high school. Courtship
began during her senior year at East High and they were married 19 February
1954. Together they have four children, 14 grandchildren, and five great
grandchildren. They are passionate about supporting each one of them in their
pursuits and achievements.

For years, Gary enjoyed a sales career representing the business technology,
clothing and medical industries. With his work, the Creer family lived in cities
around the U.S., including Boston, Dallas, Portland, Kansas City, Buffalo,
Breckenridge, Boulder, and Lansing, before moving back to Salt Lake City in 1974.
More recently, Gary and Sidney lived in the Park City and Midway areas, and in
1999 settled in St. George, Utah where they owned and operated a custom
screening business.

A life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gary was
ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood by Elder Ezra Taft Benson in 1954, and
served in church callings such as a stake missionary, Young Men’s President,
Explorer Scout Leader and most recently, High Priest Group Leader and Ward
Employment Specialist. Gary’s hobbies and interests included hunting, leather
crafts, photography, rifle and pistol reloading, fine arts (graphite pencil) and skiing.
Gary was a certified ski instructor and also served as an assistant coach for the U.S.
Alpine Ski Team in the late 1960s. In his later years, he loved horse packing and
training, cowboy poetry recitations and playing an occasional game of golf. From
2005 to 2008, he was privileged to help design and build an equestrian facility in
Ivins, Utah.

Gary is survived by his devoted wife, Sidney, and his four children: Jennifer
(Richard) Kohler of St. George; Steven (Marlene) Creer, also of St. George; Jeffrey
(Darci) Creer of Mission Viejo; and Michael (Barbara) Creer of Las Vegas. Gary’s
grandchildren are: Tonya Pierce, Tara Paddock, Andrea Sato, Heidi Kohler, Carson
Creer, Niklaus Kohler, Cameron Creer, Michael J. Creer, Dan Creer, Kathryn Clover,
Samuel Creer, and Matthew Riley Creer. Bradley Creer and Noel Kohler, preceded Gary in
death. His great grandchildren are Ethan Pierce, Kaleb Pierce, Asher Pierce, Sydney
Sato and Levi Pierce. Gary is also survived by his two brothers and sister: Clare
(Maurine) Creer, Ralph (Jairine) Creer, and Jeanine (Eugene) Larsen.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday March 27, 2010, at noon, Sunset 3rd
Ward, 415 N Westridge Drive in St. George, UT. A viewing will be held on Friday
evening, March 26th, from 6 to 7:00 PM, Metcalf Mortuary, 288 W. St. George, UT,
and from 10:45 to 11:45 AM at the Sunset chapel prior to the funeral services.
Interment at Tonaquint Cemetery, 1777 S. Dixie Dr., St. George will follow the
services. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the LDS Church’s Perpetual
Education fund (pef.lds.org) or Humanitarian Services, at (ldsphilanthropies.org).