Alvin Clarence Rencher's Obituary
Alvin Clarence Rencher (Al) was born on December 21, 1934 in St. Johns Arizona to Vivian and Clarence Rencher. He is the oldest of 5 children (Alvin, Leonard, LaVeta, Stephen and Grant).
Alvin was blessed to learn the value of hard work and patience as he worked on the family farm. He said he was fortunate to grow up without a TV. As a boy he started driving tractors at age 10. He took over managing the farm by age 14. After graduating from St. Johns High School, he attended BYU where he studied Mathematics.
One summer during college he worked at Jacob Lake in Arizona where he met his soon-to-be wife LaRue Drechsel. He first fell in love with her singing while she played the piano. They later continued falling in love while at BYU. They were married on June 22, 1962 and had 60 wonderful years together. He is survived by his three children David (Tamara), Michael (Valerie) and Ashley (Brian), 9 grandchildren and two brothers Leonard and Grant.
Upon graduating with a Master’s degree in Mathematics, he went to work for Hercules in Salt Lake before receiving a temporary position to return and teach at BYU. He loved teaching so much that he moved his wife and young son David to Virginia to complete a PhD at Virginia Tech. He was delighted to return to BYU for a life-filling career as a professor and researcher in the Statistics Department for over 30 years. Al often mentioned how much he loved his job and was grateful for it.
Alvin loved the Book of Mormon and through studying it he grew very close to the Lord. He served as a young missionary in Uruguay and Peru. Later, he was able to serve two missions with LaRue at the Mexico City Visitor Center and the Mormon Battalion Visitor Center in San Diego. He also loved attending the temple and serving as a temple worker. Other callings he enjoyed included serving as the Bishop of a BYU ward, the high-priest group leader, and Sunday School teacher. He was always out doing service such as visiting widows or driving someone to an appointment.
Alvin found sanctuary while fishing, backpacking and being in the mountains. His favorite refuge was the Uinta Mountains. He shared this love of the outdoors with his children, grandchildren and friends and deeply anticipated his annual backpack trip with his family. He had to retire from backpacking at age 83 when he begrudgingly succumbed to car camping.
Alvin was a quiet, kind soul who would never turn down an assignment at work or at church. Although he was meek and mild, his influence was bold in all aspects of his life. He was very honest and would go overboard to help others and make sure he was fair and equal to all. He delighted in doing what’s right and following the commandments. He loved to read and was a researcher to the very end. We could always find him sitting at his desk. He was truly grateful for all his tender mercies, especially his wife and family.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 19, 2025 at 11:00 AM at the Rock Canyon Chapel located at 2445 N. 650 E. Provo, UT. A viewing will be held prior to the services from 9:30 AM-10:30 AM. The Interment will follow at the Provo City Cemetery. The funeral will also be broadcast on Zoom at the following link for those who are unable to attend.
https://zoom.us/j/92905140990
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