Claire Marie Thacker

Claire Marie Thacker
1926~2012
Our beloved mother and Grandma Great passed away at home Wednesday, June 13, surrounded by her loving children. Claire Marie Johnson Thacker was born June 29, 1926 to Arnold Johnson and Esther Eliza Willmore. After her mother passed away when Claire was five years old, she was blessed to live with her treasured Aunt Clara. Later, she returned to live with her father and beloved step-mother, Verna Cole Johnson. Growing up in Salt Lake City, Claire was a bona fide tomboy, regularly winning footraces, playing sports, and causing mischief with her brothers. She graduated from East High School and attended both BYU and the University of Utah. Near the end of WWII, while working at the Salt Lake Airport, she met Milton Bosh Thacker. Milt used to joke that he gave her a ride to work one day, and she gave him a ride ever after. They were married December 31, 1946 and later sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. Claire and Milt were a dynamic pair who loved to dance, golf, and travel together. In their younger years, they regularly cleared the dance floor at Saltair and the Rainbow Room with their stylish moves, and in their later years they enjoyed ribbing each other on the golf course. Her hands were always busy creating things to share with the people she loved. Claire was actively involved in the lives of each of her five children, 22 grandchildren, and 34 great-grandchildren-attending sports tournaments, recitals, baby blessings, baptisms, graduations, and weddings. Each generation of her posterity loved her dearly. To her children, she was a devoted friend and tireless cheerleader. Grandchildren loved spending time at her winter home in St. George, eating fresh fruit from the trees and hiking in Snow Canyon. Her great-grandchildren affectionately knew her as Grandma Claire, Grandma Great, Grandma Grape, and Grandma Greek. A firecracker to the end, Claire's vitality and spunk will be sorely missed. Preceded in death by her husband, Milt. She is now survived by her five children: Anne (Paul) Fetzer, Sheridan Black, Leslie (Brent) Lorimer, Allison Jane (Tali) Haleua, and Brian (Stacy) Thacker, all of Salt Lake; 22 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; her brothers Allen (Cathy) Johnson and Michael (Molly) Johnson. A viewing will be held Monday, June 18 from 6-8 p.m. at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary (3401 Highland Drive). Funeral will be Tuesday, June 19 at 11 a.m. with a viewing one hour prior to the service at the Willow Creek 9th Ward Chapel, 2350 East Creek Road (8200 South). Though parting from this sweet lady is sad for us, we celebrate her reunion with her sweetheart, her parents, her sister Kay, her brothers and loved ones discovered through her work in genealogy. We are comforted and strengthened by the knowledge that we will all be together again.