Rodney Lawrence Whitlock
1933-2021 “Luck”
Salt Lake City, Utah – Rodney Lawrence Whitlock, a devoted family man and child at heart, died July 20 after battling Alzheimer’s disease.
Born on June 15, 1933 in Manti, he approached life with wide eyes. Rodney cultivated this feeling in others, whether it be on family camping trips or setting up backyard bridges for grandchildren to climb.
In 1956 Rodney met the love of his life, Karin-Maria Wanke, at a church meeting. Love at first sight, they married in Manti Temple on June 20, 1957 and later settled in Sugar House for the past 60 years.
Called “Lucky” by one of his grandchildren, the affectionate nickname stuck and became more and more appropriate over the years. Struck twice by lightning, along with many other mishaps, the prospect of danger did not deter Rodney from seeking adventure.
Nor did he care too much about haughty social expectations and norms. His wardrobe included mismatched shoes and shirts from the 1970s. He tended to fall asleep in random places. Once he nodded off under his car with the tool in hand and startled the neighbors across the street who thought he had been run over. An avid nature lover, Rodney undoubtedly dreamed of a future hunting or fishing trip.
He was always ready to help. While on a trip to New York City, he saw a couple struggling to lift a couch up steep stairs. After helping, Rodney couldn’t understand why no one else in the crowd stopped.
As an active LDS member, Rodney had many Church callings, but he was especially brilliant serving in the Boy Scouts of America. He spent fifty years as a Master Scout and received many awards and recognitions, including the Silver Beaver and Silver Buffalo Awards for outstanding service and dedication.
Rodney worked for the Utah Department of Transportation and retired after forty years – and served in the National Guard for 21 years.
He leaves behind his wife Karin and five children: Pam (Kirk), Hal, Ryan (Kim), Darren (Paula) and Kim (Blake). He has ten grandchildren: Justin (Theresa), Brianne (Paul), Stephanie, Danielle (Court), Brittney (Patrick), Jared (Fiona), Andrew, Adam, Conner and McCall. He also has four great-grandchildren, Ella, Carter, Silas and Aria.
The family would like to thank all of the doctors and nurses who have looked after him over the years, especially the staff at the William Christofferson Salt Lake Veterans Home, where he spent the last two years of his life.
Worshiped by everyone, his family will miss him – and will always see him as a role model. We are the lucky ones….
Tours are on Sunday, July 25th at 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Monday, July 26th at 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at Edgehill Ward, 1750 S. 1500 E., SLC . After the viewing on Monday, the funeral will take place at 10:00 a.m. The funeral will take place in Elysian Gardens, 1075 E. 4580 S., SLC. MASKS ARE REQUESTED.
Published by Deseret News from July 21 to July 23, 2021.
Comments are closed.