Earl Raymond Bartholomew

Earl Raymond Bartholomew, age 89, passed away surrounded by family on Tuesday October 25, 2022, the day before his 90th birthday.

Earl was born on October 26, 1932 in Alexandria, Minnesota to Earl Willis and Florence Shaver Bartholomew. He is preceded in death by his sweetheart and love of his life Alice Elsie Faulkner Bartholomew, parents, brother (Ralph Bartholomew), sisters (Claire Hammer, Delicia (Dee) Dixon, Margaret (Peggy) Jalbert), and his daughter Sharon Kay Combes (Brent). He is survived by his brother John A. Bartholomew, sisters Betty Lohse and Jean Keller, daughter Colynne Call (Michael), son Grant Lester Bartholomew, daughter Alyson Baker, and son-in-law Brent Combes, as well as 16 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren with at least one more on the way.

After graduating from high school, Earl moved from Alexandria, Minnesota to Provo, Utah to attend Brigham Young University. In May of 1953 while attending BYU, Earl was introduced to Alice Faulkner, the younger sister of a couple for whom he was a home teacher. Earl and Alice were married in the Salt Lake Temple on December 03, 1953.

Earl graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.S. Degree in secondary education and Utah State University with a T.I. certificate in vocational education. He was the president of the Utah Vocational Association which was comprised of all vocational instructors for the state. For over four decades Earl devoted his talents and love of teaching with emphasis in vocational education at Salt Lake Community College where, in addition to being a professor of numerous business courses over the years, he was also an administrator in many capacities during his career. His vision for growth for the college encapsulated his push for vocational colleges becoming accredited making it possible for approved core credits, earned during a 2-year vocational degree, to be transferred to a university and used to complete a 4-year bachelor’s degree. Over time, with great passion, committees, and petitioning many upper education boards this goal was accomplished. Earl and Alice had a once in a lifetime experience sabbatical from the college in 1986 to go to Japan to live for a year as a visiting professor to teach English and related courses at a girl’s school. They were very loved by these Japanese students and many corresponded for years and even traveled to the US to stay with Earl and Alice.

Earl’s greatest loves in life were deep-rooted and very intertwined. His love began with his devotion for his beliefs and convictions. Family meant everything to Earl and he really loved his family. While living at home in his youth, in a family of eight children, Earl worked very hard helping his parents with their huge garden from planting to harvesting. Then he helped his mother and sisters with canning, preserves and stocking the dirt cellar. All of this work was to help feed their family during the long, cold winters in Minnesota.

Earl loved to read. He hungered for knowledge and was always reading and studying every book he could get his hands on. One of those books was The Book of Mormon. This book became his most beloved book in his lifetime. He loved it dearly as it literally changed his life.

While attending BYU, Earl married his sweetheart and love of his life, Alice. This was the beginning of Earl’s own family. Earl and Alice were blessed with four children; each of whom was certain they were the favorite child--- they still are certain!!! Earl and Alice loved a full house with lots of good food and shared stories, some with humor others from the heart. They loved having family, extended family and friends visit for a day or several days. It all meant happiness for Earl to be with his family, (even friends were family to Earl, more than his own kids called him dad). Even greater than the joy Earl and Alice had with their own children, came the unbelievable joy when their 16 grandchildren came along; each of them was also certain they were the favorite grandchild!!

Grandchildren created a whole new world of love, opportunity and fun with loads and loads of joy. Memories of time spent with Grandpa and Grandma bring a mixture of lots of laughs, tears of missing him and so much love. From sixteen grandchildren Earl and Alice’s joy has been magnified by being blessed with 28 going on 29 great grandchildren; the majority are too young to talk about whose favorite yet.

Another love of Earl’s was gardening and yardwork. Having learned the hard work of gardening at a very young age, Earl loved to work in his garden at his own home to help keep him grounded. It was a type of sanctuary for him. He did his thinking and unwinding when he was connected with nature in his garden.

Earl’s very greatest love that combined all of his loves, was for our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ. Earl was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was 14 years old. The missionaries he grew close to told him about BYU. They encouraged Earl to work hard, keep his grades top notch, then apply for scholarships to try to get into BYU which would help him meet his goal for college. Earl and the missionary who baptized him, stayed in touch their entire lives. They remained dear friends and brothers in the gospel. Earl served a stake mission in the Sugar House Stake of Utah in the 1960’s. After retirement, he had the privilege of combining his vocational education and business education as he served another mission, this time at Welfare Square in downtown Salt Lake as Employment Specialist. He served in several different callings within the Church. He served as instructor, in the Elder’s Quorum, served as clerks and as a counselor in the Bishopric. He had a very ardent testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He truly loved the Savior and studied scriptures and church literature constantly. He bore his testimony to whomever he could whenever he had the opportunity. Earl’s greatest testimony of the Savior was evidenced in his actions and his deep love.

In June of 2022, Earl and Alice moved to Alta Ridge Memory Care. Both had been on Hospice care for about a year.

Earl’s family wishes to express appreciation to Abi, Henrique, Misty, Emily, Phil, Lyla, Lynette, Olivia, Sierra, Ryder, Mikayla, Pyper, Ana, Alyssa, , and all the staff at Alta Ridge Memory Care and also the staff at Twin Oaks Assisted Living, as well as his hospice nurses, Lindsay Cox & Joan Simmons, who all served him with tenderness and loving care.

Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. with a viewing held prior at 10 to 11:45 a.m. at the Silvercrest Ward building located at 9119 South 1300 East, Sandy, UT 84094. Burial at Elysian Gardens immediately following the service.