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Willard Oliver Stratton - 10/21/2010

Class of 1942

St. George, Utah - Willard Oliver Stratton passed away October 21, 2010 at his home in Bloomington. He was born March 19, 1924 to Oliver Lang Stratton and Josephine Foremaster Stratton in St. George, Utah. His youth was spent in St. George and on the family ranch in Central, Utah.

He proudly served in the U.S. Military 81st Infantry Division in the South Pacific from October 1943 to February 1946. He returned to St. George where he graduated from Dixie Jr. College in pre-med. On May 25, 1946 he married his high school sweetheart, Mary Iva Gubler in the St. George LDS Temple.

In September 1947, he was accepted for enrollment at the University of Southern California College of Dentistry. After four years he graduated D.D.S. with class honors. In 1951, Bill and Mary moved to Cedar City, Utah to start a family. He built and maintained a successful dental practice for eleven years during which time they were blessed with four children.

Although he loved the town of Cedar and it’s people, he decided to continue his education at U.S.C. In September 1962, he moved his family back to California to attend Orthodontic School. After graduation, they moved to Salt lake City where he enjoyed practicing orthodontics for 28 years, receiving numerous professional distinctions.

He was a lifelong and active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He held numerous church, civic and professional positions of leadership and service.

He was always an outstanding athlete and avid outdoors man. He created beautiful stained glass art, turquoise jewelry and oil paintings. His heart and soul and most of his spare time went into building a cabin on 100 acres of paradise in the mountains.

In June 1994, Bill and Mary returned to live in St. George. He was able to renew old friendships, treasured ties to family members, and to enjoy the country he always loved. Willard will be greatly missed by his family and many friends.

His family includes his wife Mary, daughters; Laurine (Craig) and Sabrina (David), sons; Roark (Becky) and Kyle (Trudy), eleven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. He is survived by his brothers Albert and Lloyd Stratton.

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