David Morris Grant Obituary

1931 - 2013

David Morris Grant, 82, died of natural causes on April 13, 2013 at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was born on March 24, 1931 in Salt Lake City, Utah to David Lewis Grant and Mary Lucille Greenwood Grant. He was married September 11, 1953 in the Salt Lake Temple to Reva Luella Carlow. They are the parents of five children - David (Judy), Linda Halling (Delbert), Heidi Cox (Leonard), Karen Lindstrom (Kurt), and John (Julie). David and Reva have twenty-seven grandchildren and thirty-five great-grandchildren.

Reva died in Paihia, Bay of Islands, New Zealand on December 2, 1995 and following her death, David married Deslyn Renee Edling Triplett on December 27, 1996. Deslyn's four sons David (Tonya), Daniel (Jan), Brian (Valerie), and Douglas (Kay) added seventeen more grandchildren to David's family.

David accepted various assignments from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout his life. He served two missions: as a young man in New Zealand and with Deslyn as director of the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitor's Center. Other callings included bishop, stake president, patriarch, and regional representative.

David was a distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of Utah and former dean of the College of Science. He was a pioneer in the development of the process known as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry. In 2006 the University of Utah named a new NMR facility in David's honor. He received the Department of Chemistry's Distinguished Teaching Award, the Utah Governor's Medal for Science and Technology, the University's Distinguished Alumnus accolade, and the prestigious Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence.

Though dedicated in professional, community and religious pursuits, David Morris Grant will always be remembered for his devotion to family. His greatest fulfillment was in the lives of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife Deslyn, his five children and spouses, his brother Paul G. Grant (Bonnie) and his sister Colleen Dick (Richard). All of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren also survive their grandfather's passing.

The funeral services will be held at the LDS chapel located at 589 18th Avenue on Friday, April 19, 2013 at 11:00 A.M. A viewing will be held for friends and family at the Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, on Thursday evening between 6:00-8:00 P.M. and again at the above listed chapel between 9:30-10:45 A.M. preceding the funeral services. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations may be made in his name to LDS Philanthropies Perpetual Education Fund, 15 E South Temple, 2nd Floor East, Salt Lake City, UT 84150.

Published in Deseret News from Apr. 17 to Apr. 18, 2013