James LeGrande Shupe

1918 - 2014

LeGrande passed away at home Oct. 8, 2014. He was born Nov. 5, 1918, in North Ogden, Utah, to Parley Grant & Luella Chadwick Shupe. He received his education in the Weber County schools and graduated from Weber High, attending Weber College before going on an LDS mission to the Netherlands. On Sept. 3, 1957, he married Faye Chambers in the Salt Lake Temple. They lived in Washington, D.C., briefly before returning to Hyde Park, where they have lived for 53 years.
He served in the United States Army, Medical Department, in World War II from 1942 to 1945. After graduating from Utah State University in 1948 with a BS degree in physiology, he completed a doctorate of veterinary medicine from Cornell University and an orthopedic pathology residency at Walter Reed Medical Center. Except for a five year leave to serve as research veterinarian for the United States Department of Agriculture, he spent his entire professional career at Utah State University as a teacher, administrator and research scientist, bringing many honors to his Alma Mater.
LeGrande never wavered in his total commitment to his family, religious beliefs and profession. He unselfishly devoted his time and efforts to serving his Church through his callings as a missionary in the Netherlands and North America (1938-1940), a district missionary in New York (1950-1952) and with his wife Faye serving in the Nauvoo Illinois Visitors Center (1988-1989) and the San Diego Mormon Battalion Visitors Center (1993-1994). His church positions included Sunday school teacher, home teacher, Delta Phi advisor to returned missionaries, scoutmaster, stake presidency, patriarch and Logan Temple officiator and sealer. He enjoyed gardening with his family and could always be found with a camera around his neck taking hundreds of pictures of whatever was going on around him.
Meticulous and exacting in his research and publications, he was an internationally recognized scholar. He provided consultant, lecturer and legal witness services on fluoridation to England, Japan, Switzerland and The Republic of Ireland, as well as to more than 65 organizations in the Unites States including Stanford Research Institute, National Institute of Health, American Medical Association, United States Department of Justice and many others. A prolific author, he wrote more than 225 papers, reports, and articles published in peer reviewed journals, state and higher education publications, private business journals, and international and national reports.
He received numerous awards and recognitions, including being elected president, American College of Toxicology; president, Utah Veterinary Medical Association; member, American Medical Association House of Delegates on Food Nutrition & Fluoridation Safety; member, Utah Air Conservation Council (1967-1977). At Utah State University he also received many recognitions including: Distinguished Professor in the College of Agriculture, Outstanding Utah State University Alumnus Award, Nicholes Leone Outstanding Administrator Award, Wynne Thorne Research Award and Utah State University Distinguished Service Award. In spite all of this recognition, LeGrande was unassuming and humble about his extraordinary capabilities and numerous achievements.
LeGrande is survived by his wife, Faye, two sons, James G (Margaret) and Dennis C (Merrilee), and three grandchildren, Laura, Elizabeth and George Shupe. Also surviving are four brothers, Verle, Merrill, Kay and Lamont Shupe. He is preceded in death by his parents, a grandson Grant Joseph Shupe, and siblings Russell, Cyril, Bill, Owen, Bea, Margaret, Maxine, Arlene and Janice.
Funeral Services will be at noon Saturday, Oct. 11, under the direction of Nelson Funeral Home. Family and friends may call from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at Nelson Funeral Home, 85 S. Main, Smithfield, Utah, or 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Center Street Church, 65 E. Center, Hyde Park, Utah. Interment will be in the Smithfield Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to the Perpetual Education Fund, 50 E. North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150-1501.