Verl Scheller Gatherum Obituary (1937 - 2018)

Verl Scheller Gatherum was born Tuesday, November 23, 1937 to John Stanley and Lois Maude Gatherum, as well as an older brother Ralph. He was followed by sisters, Janette and Ann. In 1938 he was given the nickname, Tim, after the character Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol because of his small size. This nickname would follow him the rest of his life. He was a wonderful brother and son and delighted in teasing his younger sisters and fishing with Ralph at the canal near Kamas. In 1956, he graduated from South High with his sweetheart, Arlene Christensen. After years of chasing her from BYU back to the U of U, they were married August 21, 1959 in the Salt Lake Temple and made their home in South Salt Lake after a honeymoon visiting the Grand Canyon. In May of 1960, they welcomed their first born, Douglas. Almost two years later, Diane joined her brother and then Dorothy three years after Diane. They thought their family was complete when surprise! Debra joined their family almost nine years after Dorothy. Often Arlene would say that she had the children so Tim would have someone to play with. He was a kid at heart. His children gave him a nickname of their own, Vergil or Vergie. He would grin every time they teased him by calling him the wrong name. He was a wonderful father and enjoyed interacting and playing with his children and grandchildren. He told wonderful bedtime stories that were much better than story books…and he couldn’t skip pages if he was telling the story! He taught his children many fun games from his childhood like The Fox and the Hound and A Dozen Eggs, which was a game of catch. When the street lights came on and it was time to come home, he would summon his children by whistling through cupped hands. His whistle could be heard throughout the neighborhood. A game that continued throughout his children’s adult life was Touched You Last. Dad, we finally won the game, but your touch will remain forever upon our hearts. He was a fun Grandpa to 12 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. His grandchildren didn’t go “visit” grandpa, they went to PLAY with Grandpa. His grandkids loved to play like they were the Three Little Pigs in his workshop and he was always the Big Bad Wolf. When talking to him one of the first things he would ask was how each of the grandchildren were doing. They were constantly on his mind, and he enjoyed them immensely. To pass the time he enjoyed fishing, hunting, yard work and playing basketball with the neighborhood kids. His yard was always immaculately kept along with his home. He loved BYU sports and watching or listening to football. He was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints his entire life, holding the Melchizedek Priesthood and serving in many callings. He was a veil worker in the Jordan River Temple later in his life. He worked for Sperry Univac, which became Unisys, which then became L3 Communications as a Quality Control Inspector. He never called in sick and worked hard until his retirement. The lunch hour was passed eating homemade lunches from his wife that always included two sandwiches, a peeled orange, chips and if he was lucky a slice of cake. He also enjoyed playing Uno with his co-workers during lunch. He taught his family how to play and rumor has it he may have cheated a time or two. Part of what made him an excellent inspector was his attention to detail and fussiness. His shoes were always shined, his hair combed with the comb from his back pocket that he always carried and his pants creased. He took great enjoyment in taking care of his many cars. His cars were washed and waxed by hand weekly. If you asked him, nothing beats a Buick. He passed away peacefully at his home of nearly forty years Sunday afternoon surrounded by his family. He will be greatly missed and loved forever. His family rejoices in the knowledge that Families are Forever. A viewing will be held at Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary, 4760 S. State Street, in Murray, UT on Thursday, January 11, 2018 from 11am to 12:30pm. A private family graveside will be held after the viewing.