Edward Richard Packham

Edward Richard Packham was born on August 21, 1930 in Burley, Idaho. He left this earth on May 20, 2022 in Orem, Utah at the age of 91 to the hymn "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again" playing. He was preceded in death by his father, Edward Frances Packham and his mother Estella Judd. He leaves behind his wife and love of his life, Beverly Ann Oder, his children Pamela (Verdi) White, Bruce King, Paul (Dianne) King, Richard Packham, Trent (Stephanie) Packham, Jonathan (Margie Jo) Packham, Bryan Packham, Laura (Jason) Arbon and Mindy (Scott) Horne, 34 grandchildren, and 44 great-grandchildren. Richard grew up poor. His father worked as a laborer and lost his leg. Richard lived in a one room home as a child where a blanket was hung up at night to create two sleeping rooms. He lost his father at age 13 and his mother died when he was 24. He worked at any job available as a youth. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Great Lakes Area Mission. He then went to BYU and was a gymnast there and later graduated with a bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Idaho in 1955. He graduated from Northwestern in Chicago with an MBA in 1958. Richard worked at Wilson and Company in Chicago before moving to Midland Michigan to work at Dow Chemical. He then started his banking carrier with Michigan National Leasing, First Alabama Leasing and then First Security Leasing. He then went into entrepreneurship. He was a valiant follower of Christ and took his church responsibilities seriously. He served in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Church in the bishopric at BYU and then the first Stake Presidency of the BYU campus. He later served as the Bishop of the Saginaw Michigan Ward, Stake Presidency in the Lansing Michigan Stake and then was called as the first stake president of the Mid-Michigan Stake (later the Midland Michigan stake). He was first made a Stake Patriarch at the age of 47 in the Montgomery, Alabama Stake by Elder LeGrand Richards. He was fortunate enough to be able to have provided most of his children’s and some of his grandchildren’s patriarchal blessings. He authored 2 books; Born of the Spirit and Come Unto Christ as well as other articles in the Ensign. He was a man of highest integrity. Most of the family has memories of him in his office first thing in the morning studying the gospel. It didn’t matter how early anyone got up, he was already there studying the scriptures. He would then go to work only to finish the day serving others in many different ways. He was kind and loving to all that knew him.

There will be a private celebration of life, with the family and close friends at a later date.