Darrell "Dingo" Painter

1928 ~ 2021

This extraordinary man lovingly known as Dingo Painter to his friends and family left this earthly life on Friday December 3, 2021.

He was born June 30, 1928 to Glenn Gordon Painter and Anna Pearl Armstrong in Stockton Utah. He attended schools in Stockton and Tooele. He graduated from Tooele High School and went on to further his education. He graduated from the school of hard knocks and was quite mischievous growing up. He traveled the country in his green and yellow Model A. Our lives were filled with great stories of his youth and the friends that he made and adored.

He loved his Swedish Heritage and was called to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to Sweden where he taught the gospel for two and half years and met many of his Swedish relatives. He made many friends in Sweden and have kept in contact with them and their families to this day.

He developed a love of genealogy. He has researched, connected families, and found many relatives throughout Utah, United States, Sweden and Norway. He has provided tens of thousands of records for work to be done for families who have passed on.

He married Lorraine Atkin on October 17, 1952 in the Salt Lake City Temple. They had six children David (Syndee) Broomfield, CO, Lori (Don) Fanning Tooele, Stacey (Garry) Bolinder Grantsville, Melanie (John) Haering Tooele, Kelly (Joan) Painter Grantsville, Tammy (Todd) Palmer deceased.

This incredible man enriched the lives of everyone around him with his quick wit, huge heart, big hugs, funny jokes, and his unconditional love. He saw the good in people everywhere he went. He had a wonderful memory. He knew practically everyone and if he didn't know you, he knew at least someone you were related to in this county.

He was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He held many callings. He loved teaching. His favorite calling was that of Scout Master of Troop 346. He loved the scouting program, but he loved the boys more. They were his family and today he speaks so highly of all of them. He talked about their adventures and accomplishments during this time. He had 38 Eagle Scouts and many more on their way when he was released. He was awarded the Silver Beaver Award but was nothing compared to the relationships he made with the boys during this period of time. They were priceless in his eyes.

He loved the gospel of Jesus Christ and had a personal relationship with his Savior Jesus Christ. He was grateful for the atonement of the Savior. He studied the scriptures, and we knew no one who had such recall and understanding of the scriptures and the correlations of the many books of the gospel. He had great respect for other religions and learned much from many of them never swaying from his testimony of the gospel but seeing the similarities instead of the differences. He loved people from all walks of life. He loved as the Savior loved. His love for the Savior was evident in his life and he was looking forward to the day he would see him again.

Family was everything to him. His grandchildren were the light of his life. He was either bouncing them around, showing them the stars, rocking them to sleep, playing games with them, singing off key, tickling, throwing them up to the sky, dancing, playing bear chasing them around the house, telling stories or riding/feeding the animals. He always let them know he loved them and were proud of them.

Great grandchildren only made life better. It was best said by his oldest great granddaughter Daisha, The Man, the Myth, The Legend, Grandpa Bear. It pretty much sums it up. He was so loved.

He is survived by his wife and 5 children, 15 grandchildren and 37 great grandchildren, his loyal dog and beloved cows, siblings Katie Sharp and Ruby (Orson) Worthen and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, daughter Tammy and great granddaughter Natalie Finch Heiman, siblings, Linnie Nix, Thelda Osborne, Verl Painter, Glenn Painter, infant brother Clifton, Gordon Painter and Betty Rae Cooley.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, December 11, 2021 at 1:00. Visitation with the family will be one hour prior from 12:00 – 1:00 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Tooele Eleventh Ward, 180 South Coleman, Tooele, Utah. There will be a visitation with the family the night before, Friday, December 10, 2021 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at the same location.