Wendell Clinton Day

1939 - 2021

Wendell Clinton Day Jr.

7/11/1939 - 7/10/2021 In Loving Memory

Salt Lake City, UT—Wendell Clinton Day, Jr., was born July 11, 1939 in Washington D.C. He died July 10, 2021 of Alzheimer's disease in Salt Lake City, Utah, the day before his 82nd birthday. His family wishes to especially thank the caregivers of The Auberge at Aspen Park, for their excellence in caring for Clinton.

Born to Wendell and Ina Harris Day, Clint was the second of 6 children: Sidnee (Don) Spencer, David (Sue) Day, Hannah (late Cecil) Ellisor, Jeannie Shipley, and LuReen (late Glen) Brock.

Clint married "out of his league" to Janet Stephenson Robins in 1980, in the Salt Lake Temple. Janet brought three children to the marriage: Nathan D. Robins, Mathew S. Robins and Natalie Robins. Subsequently they added three children, John D., Elizabeth (McCarthy) and Eve (Fowles) and were married for 40 yrs.

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 being airedales. His family spent many summers at their large ranch in Star Valley Wyoming, where they all enjoyed their horses, hiking in the mountains, and making goat cheese, which they sold to restaurants.

Clint loved music. At 16, Clint learned to play the accordion, became very accomplished, and sold his car in order to make a down payment on a "really fine" accordion; it cost $1100- the price of a new car at that time. He also worked part time at a service station for $1.24 an hour to help pay for accordion lessons from Eliseo Martinez, and Bert Shaw. Additionally, he traveled and taught a weekly lesson to his own students in their home. He took piano lessons from Edelgarde Heinke, at the University of Utah and also studied with Frederick Dixon. In addition, Clint loved to sing and was frequently in choirs in church and his community. He loved using music to bring people together, such as with the annual, community-performance of Handel's Messiah he organized for many years.

He loved to travel and to meet foreigners. Throughout his life, he would set foot on four continents and many countries. He served an honorable LDS mission in Uruguay, and again as a senior with Janet in the Chile Santiago East mission. Clint sought opportunities to use his Spanish skills whenever possible. He delighted in taking his young kids to Mexico, not only to have a good time but to show them that the world was bigger than their backyard.

Clint embraced new technologies and ideas. After graduating from Murray High in 1957, he studied Physics, Chemistry, then ultimately, Mathematics at the University of Utah with ambitions of joining the space race. Together, with Dr. Homer Warner, Clinton developed one of the first medical informatics systems, which is still in use today. He created INFO, a programming language, and leveraged it to start his first company, Information Now Inc., competing 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 any hotels were there. Clint piloted single-engine aircraft and once flew his son to Disneyland himself. As President of the University of Utah Chess Team, he once played against Bobby Fischer (and lost).

He had an ardent testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served in the bishopric of the Big Cottonwood 6th Ward. After planning an amazing church history experience for his fellow High Councilors, he founded Mormon Heritage Association- an organization dedicated to "converting Mormons" through hands-on experiences at historically significant LDS sites across the globe. He believed that there was no substitute for standing in places where early church leaders stood, and feeling the spirit there. Thousands have participated in his life-changing tours.

Clinton was daring, charismatic, shrewd, hard-working, and kind. The world is a better place because he passed through it, and family and friends will miss him dearly. We are sure Clinton is already very busy in the next life doing what he loved best- preaching the gospel.

Services and viewings for Clinton will be held at the LDS Big Cottonwood 10th Ward building: 4930 S Westmoor Rd, Holladay, UT. There is a viewing from 6-8pm on Fri, July 16, 2021 and Sat, July 17, 9-10am, funeral following at 10am. He will be buried at the Larkin Sunset Gardens in Sandy, UT.