ElRay Homer's Obituary
ElRay Homer, born on October 5, 1955 to Betty Mary (Hartley) Homer and Herald Ossmen Homer (Deceased), in Salt Lake City, UT, succumbed — mustache-less after his daughter razed his life-long mustache against his will — at the age of 67, to a life full of heavy-partying, constant drug abuse, loud belching after every sip of the beer from the beer can that seemed glued to his hand, and rudely interrupting and talking over anyone at anytime that he felt like it.
ElRay, loving father, grandfather, sibling, and son, always appreciated a good laugh; he was the polar opposite of the man listed above. Rather than succumbing to a life lived large and outsize, ElRay quietly succumbed to a quicker than expected, but outright valiant, battle of invasive adenocarcinoma of the bile duct. ElRay passed away quietly on the morning of December 5, 2022, in the home is his eldest daughter, Becki (Homer) Pulley, receiving her attentive love and care honed from her nearly two decades-long work as a registered nurse. ElRay passed into the next life surrounded by what was most important to him in his life, his family. At the time of ElRay’s passing his mustache very much still intact!
ElRay lived a quiet life. He spoke quietly. He would always let others have the privilege of choosing, always demurring his opinion for what anyone else preferred. ElRay always quietly attended all his children’s and grandchildren’s school, church, extracurricular and sporting events, etc. of which there was an unending number as he is survived by, in addition to his oldest daughter, Becki (Homer) Pulley (superbly talented registered nurse), his six other children: Yarle Homer (cook extraordinaire), Lindsy Homer (rock star elementary special education teacher), Joshua Gordon Homer (one of those insidious attorneys that plague society) (Spouse: Daisy Homer), Jona Homer (burgeoning Information Technology phenom), Naomi (Homer) Whitmore (dedicated mother and elementary school teacher) (Spouse: Nathan Whitmore), and Tilli (Homer) Buchanan (quality assurance specialist) (Spouse: Jared Buchanan) and seventeen grandchildren: Becki, four; Joshua, five; and Naomi, eight. Despite the unending and innumerable special occasions created by such a numerous family, ElRay made sure that he did not miss any event, ensuring that each child or grandchild could feel comfort knowing that he or she always had someone there to support him or her.
Even ElRay’s career was befitting of his quiet nature. After graduating from Weber State University with a Bachelor’s of Art in accounting ElRay worked, quietly, as an accountant for various companies. Then In 1999 ElRay began working for Meadow Gold Dairies, a subsidiary of Dean Foods, in Salt Lake City, which is where he would work for the next twenty years, until choosing to remain with his family, his highest priority, instead of transferring to Dallas, TX as the company consolidated positions. ElRay was a quiet, dedicated, and highly responsible employee, no matter how long into the night his work took him. Never once do his children remember him complaining about his work. That was ElRay at his essence, quietly doing his part, and always choosing family, even if it may have been better off for him to focus on himself. After leaving Dean Foods, ElRay was just beginning a new chapter in his life at the IRS in Ogden, UT when he received his unexpected diagnosis.
After having seven children in the span of approximately ten years, from 1981 to 1991, life for ElRay did hit some rough patches including divorce from his wife after the birth of their youngest child. This did not deter ElRay though from making sure that he stayed dedicated to his family. Over the years ElRay sacrificed countless hours driving back and forth between his children’s home in Ogden, UT and his home in Clearfield, UT taking his children to baseball, softball, and basketball practice or games; or waking up early to take his children back to Ogden every day of his weekend while they completed their various paper routes, and even taking his children to their ward so that they would feel comfortable instead of requiring that they attend his ward where he would have felt more comfortable. That was ElRay, always there when invited, and always respecting decisions when family dynamics made things complicated. Despite these complications, ElRay always made sure that his children knew he was there for them, which always provided a supporting foundation from which each and every one has been able to grow and achieve much success in their lives. In addition to always being present for his family, ElRay always faithfully served in his church callings up until his death.
ElRay is immensely proud of his children and his grandchildren. His family was always the joy of his life, as encapsulated by what ended up being the final trip in his life. This year ElRay traveled to Ohio in a rented RV, and a 15-passenger van, with four of his daughters and twelve of his grandchildren for Thanksgiving. ElRay was so excited to make the trip as it would allow him to participate in the baptism and confirmation of a grandchild and allow him to meet his newest grandchild, born earlier in the year on August 31, and participate in the baby blessing of his grandchild, despite his increasing frailty due to his illness. ElRay was able to be part of his newest grandchild’s baby blessing and his other grandchild’s baptism and confirmation. And on the way from Utah to Ohio he was able to have a front row seat to his daughters and grandchildren creating a parody of “We don’t talk about Bruno” called “We don’t talk about pooh, no” chronicling the frequent bathroom stops and constant calls for emergency bathroom stops on the way to Ohio.
Unexpectedly, two days after participating in his grandchildren’s ordinances, ElRay got to see a part of Columbus, OH that no one had had plans of showing him: Dublin Methodist Hospital. ElRay would spend the next three days there fighting for his life. But fight ElRay did. ElRay was able to recover enough to be able to hold his newest grandchild for the first time and to be able to make the trip back to Salt Lake City, UT, where he would succumb a week later to his illness, in the comfortable surroundings of his family at “home.” That was ElRay, always about family and being there for his children and grandchildren, even at great discomfort to himself.
Although he lived a quiet life, ElRay has left an indelible and lasting impression on this world through the legacy of his children who do not share his same quietness, likely due in part to ElRay allowing them to always make up their own thoughts. WE LOVE YOU DAD! Life together hasn’t always been smooth peaches and cream, and some have even terrorized you by threatening to shave off your beloved mustache, but we want you to know that WE LOVE YOU DAD!
ElRay was preceded in death by his loving father, Herald O. Homer, who also succumbed to cancer in an exceedingly similar manner. In addition to his children and grandchildren, ElRay is also survived by his siblings Cherie Knotts, Tanya Homer, Nedra Dee Ipson, Heather Rogers, and Kevin Homer.
Funeral services will be held on December 15, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ ward building at 151 N. 1000 W., Clearfield, UT 84015. The presiding ward counselor will officiate. A viewing open to the public will be held at the same address prior to the funeral service from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Interment will take place at the Clinton City Cemetery, 750 W. 800 N., Clinton, UT 84015, right after the completion of the funeral services.
ElRay’s family respectfully requests that no flowers be sent. In lieu of flowers, ElRay’s family request that if any desires to make a donation, that the donation be made to an America First Charitable Account or through Venmo @Lindsy-Homer, to assist with the payment ElRay’s medical bills accrued during is valiant fight of the cancer that ended up taking his life.
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