Wendell Clinton Day Jr.
07/11/1939 – 07/10/2021 In fond memories
Salt Lake City, UT — Wendell Clinton Day, Jr. was born on July 11, 1939 in Washington DC. He died of Alzheimer’s disease in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 10, 2021, the day before his 82nd birthday. His family would especially like to thank the carers at the Auberge in Aspen Park for their excellent care of Clinton.
Clint was born to Wendell and Ina Harris Day and was the second of 6 children: Sidnee (Don) Spencer, David (Sue) Day, Hannah (later Cecil) Ellisor, Jeannie Shipley and LuReen (later Glen) Brock.
Clint married Janet Stephenson Robins at the Salt Lake Temple in 1980 “out of his league”. Janet had three children: Nathan D. Robins, Mathew S. Robins, and Natalie Robins. They then added three children, John D., Elizabeth (McCarthy) and Eve (Fowles) and were married for 40 years.
Clinton grew up on a farm in Murray Utah. He loved his childhood dog Fritz and later as an adult his beloved Hannibal and Hercules, all three of whom were Airedales. His family spent many summers at their large ranch in Star Valley Wyoming, where they all enjoyed their horses, hiked in the mountains, and made goat cheese that they sold to restaurants.
Clint loved music. At 16, Clint learned to play the accordion, became very savvy, and sold his car to pay a deposit for a “really good” accordion; It cost $ 1,100 – the price of a new car at the time. He also worked part-time at a $ 1.24 an hour gas station to pay for accordion lessons from Eliseo Martinez and Bert Shaw. He also traveled and gave a weekly home lesson to his own students. He took piano lessons with Edelgarde Heinke at the University of Utah and also studied with Frederick Dixon. In addition, Clint loved singing and was a frequent choir member in the church and his congregation. He loved using music to bring people together, for example at the annual community performance of Handel’s Messiah, which he organized for many years.
He loved to travel and meet foreigners. In the course of his life he traversed four continents and many countries. He served an honorable LDS mission in Uruguay and again served as a senior with Janet in the Chile Santiago East Mission. Clint looked for ways to use his Spanish skills whenever possible. He was excited to take his young children to Mexico not just to have a good time, but to show them that the world is bigger than their backyard.
Clint embraced new technology and ideas. After graduating from Murray High in 1957, he studied physics, chemistry, and eventually mathematics at the University of Utah with the aim of entering the space race. Together with Dr. Homer Warner, Clinton developed one of the first medical informatics systems that is still in use today. He developed INFO, a programming language, and used it to create his first company, Information Now Inc., which competed against giants like IBM.
Clint was fearless and independent. He drove his pickup truck through the jungles of Mexico and camped on the beaches of the Yucatan long before there were hotels there. Clint piloted single-engine airplanes and once flew his son to Disneyland himself. As president of the University of Utah chess team, he played against Bobby Fischer once (and lost).
He had a passionate testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in the Bishopric of the Big Cottonwood 6 Ward. After devising an amazing church history experience for his other high councilors, he started the Mormon Heritage Association – one Organization dedicated to “converting Mormons” through hands-on experience at historically significant LDS sites around the world. He believed that there was no substitute for standing where the leaders of the first church stood and feeling the Spirit there. Thousands have taken part in his life changing tours.
Clinton was brave, charismatic, smart, hardworking, and kind. The world is a better place because he’s been through it and family and friends will miss him dearly. We are sure that in the next life Clinton is already very busy doing what he loved most – preaching the gospel.
Services and tours for Clinton are held at the LDS Big Cottonwood 10th Ward Building: 4930 S Westmoor Rd, Holladay, UT. On Fri, July 16, 2021 and Sat, July 17, 9-10 a.m., visit from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by funeral at 10 a.m. He is buried in Larkin Sunset Gardens in Sandy, UT.
Published by The Salt Lake Tribune July 10 to July 20, 2021.
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