Floyd Thomas Waterman Obituary (1926 - 2019)

Floyd Thomas Waterman, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, passed away peacefully on January 12, 2019, of causes incident to age. Throughout his nearly 93 years his dearest love and highest priority in life was his family. His devotion to his beloved wife, Gert, and to his children, Lynell, Wayne and Steven, was unsurpassed. Floyd was born to Clifford Benjamin Waterman and Vera Horsley Waterman on May 30, 1926, in Price, Utah. His was a loving home where he was surrounded by his parents, and four sisters and two brothers, who have all preceded him in death. He was a veteran of World War II, enlisting in the U.S. Navy after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After completing his service, he returned and met the love of his life, Gertrude Flowers, at a Thanksgiving dance of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The two courted until Floyd left on a two-year mission for the Church, four months after returning from the Navy. During the time that Floyd served in the Western States Mission, Gert faithfully wrote to him, and shortly after his return they were married for time and eternity in the Salt Lake Temple, on May 20, 1949. Small town life in Price, Utah was not what Floyd wanted, so he worked hard on his education, receiving Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Utah, and a Doctoral degree from Columbia University in New York City. This facilitated a wonderful career as an educator and Professor of Education at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. Floyd taught school in order to work his way through his university education in Utah and New York, and to support his wife and three children. After the children were raised, Floyd nurtured a lifelong fascination with Japan by accepting an opportunity to participate in a one-year research project at Shizuoka National University in Japan, to examine why Japanese children do so well in mathematics and science. This experience kindled a love of the Japanese people and culture within Floyd and Gert, prompting them to return to Japan after Floyd’s retirement where he taught English to Japanese students. The crowning achievement of Dr. Waterman’s distinguished career was the founding of the Center of Urban Education at the University of Nebraska, and of a chapter of Teacher Corps, a program funded by the U.S. Office of Education, and one of only 23 chapters in the United States. Floyd’s passion for establishing these programs came from a deep-seated compassion for the impoverished, and both programs contributed to the educational and professional development of inner-city and minority children. All his life Floyd viewed every person as his equal, leading him to disdain the inequalities he witnessed wherever he looked. In his career, he devoted himself to promoting equal opportunities for all, frequently focusing his efforts to give ethnic minorities a leg up. The Watermans’ first child, Lynell, was born while Floyd attended the University of Utah. Three years later Wayne was born, suffering from major health problems and disabilities that occurred as a result of Gert contracting Rubella during her pregnancy. No two parents could have sacrificed more than Gert and Floyd did, to give Wayne as complete and normal a life as possible. He became self-sufficient and independent from the years of teaching and loving devotion given to him by his parents. Steven was born in New York City as Floyd taught school and prepared to enter Columbia University for his doctoral program. Tragically, Wayne died from a car accident while attending Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, at the age of 18. This was the deepest heartbreak of Gert and Floyd’s life. A devoted lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Floyd served in numerous capacities during his lifetime, including full time missionary, bishop (at age 26), High Counselor, and many other leadership callings. Floyd always felt that his calling as home teacher was his most important, next to his family responsibilities. Floyd is survived by Gert, his wife of nearly 70 years, his daughter, Lynell (Brian), his son, Steven (Denise), grandchildren Jennifer, Cherie, Lydia, Elizabeth, Kyle and Kyrsten, and nine great grandchildren. The family would like to offer special thanks to hospice nurse, Janet Harris, and aid, Luna ____ , and all others who cared for Floyd at Legacy Retirement and Legacy House, as well as friends, neighbors and ward members who served Floyd and Gert in their previous Murray neighborhood. A viewing will be held at the Jenkins-Soffe Funeral Chapel, 4760 S. State Street, Murray, Utah 84107, Tuesday, January 15, 2019, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. The funeral will be held on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, starting at 11:00 a.m., at the Murray 29th Ward chapel, 6300 S. 700 W., Murray, Utah, 84123. Friends may call prior to the service from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Interment will be at Elysian Gardens, 1075 E. 4580 S., Salt Lake City, Utah 84117, immediately after.