J. Darwin Pitcher

J Darwin Pitcher, age 71, passed away on Saturday, December 17, 2022, at home surrounded by family. He was born November 2, 1951, in Logan, Utah, the son of Jed Lindy and Naoma Lloyd Pitcher. He grew up in Lewiston, Utah, and lived there his whole life. He attended high school at Sky View in Smithfield and enjoyed running cross country, being on the track team and singing with the choir.  After high school he took agricultural classes at Utah State University in Logan. In order to support his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints he worked on a sugar beet farm. He was called to serve in the New Zealand Auckland North mission.

He started working at Del Monte in Franklin, Idaho and met this cute girl canning beans. She said her heart skipped a beat when she saw him. He said he felt like he knew her before. They were sealed in the Logan Utah temple on Mar 22, 1974. Darwin liked to tease that he had two and a half dozen kids because he had two boys and six girls.

Darwin served on Lewiston’s City Council and helped facilitate repairs on the pillars at the entrance of the city cemetery, widened the bridge over the canal on 800 N, organized the first annual Patriot Day Border run held each 4th of July, and was instrumental in getting “Darwin’s Light” on the corner of 800 N and 800 W.

Darwin enjoyed acting in plays and pageants, including the Martin Harris Pageant for many years. He also loved running, biking, singing, and was known for his gardening skills. He maintained a big, successful, garden and looked for opportunities to share produce with as many as he could. In his downtime he exercised his mind by putting together jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, word searches and playing card games. 

Darwin was a ham radio licensed operator (handle was KF7EZR). He volunteered his time communicating for the LOTOJA and Little Red Riding Hood bike races in Cache Valley. 

In addition to his church mission, Darwin enjoyed church service in general. He sang in the choir, served in the temple, he was in a Bishopric, on multiple high counsels, he loved being a primary teacher with Nancy, a scout leader, young men’s leader and he was excited to serve as a missionary a second time, with his wife, in the Ogden Utah Mission. He was a very devoted minister. He shoveled many driveways and sidewalks for older sisters in the winter months, and was willing to help anyone improve their garden.

Darwin worked on the family farm, DelMonte, Thiokol (later called DeLorean), Pitcher’s Sales, and Wescor. He was a very hard worker and could often be heard saying “If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right”.

Darwin is survived by his loving wife, Nancy Pitcher of Lewiston Utah; by six daughters and two sons, Mashell (Sam) Lungren of Nampa, Idaho; Bryan (Denise) of Lewiston, Utah; Keriann (Chris) of Lewiston, Utah; Sherry (Rob) of Marysville, Ohio; Charles (Elizabeth) of Williston, North Dakota; Jannine (Travis) of Tremonton, Utah; Amber (Skyler) Nielsen of Smithfield, Utah; Kristen of Lewiston, Utah; by 23 grandchildren, a grandchild on the way, and a great grandchild on the way; and by three sisters and a brother, Barbara (Scott) Summers of Paradise, Utah; Judy Winn of Fairview, Idaho; Mandy Fullmer of Lewiston, Utah; Burke (Kaylene) Pitcher of Lewiston, Utah. He is also survived by his step mother, Corky Pitcher of Phoenix, Arizona.

Darwin is preceded in death by his parents Jed Lindy and Naoma Lloyd Pitcher, and by his Father-in-Law, Arland Gloyd Purser

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 11:00 am at the Lewiston 4^th Ward Chapel, 16 S. Main, Lewiston, Utah. Viewings will be held Tuesday, December 20, 2022 from 6-8 pm at Webb Funeral Home, 1005 S. 800 E. Preston, Idaho and again prior to the services Wednesday from 9-10:30 am at the church. Interment will be in the Lewiston Utah cemetery. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at webbmortuary.com

A special thanks to the doctors and nurses at Logan Regional Hospital, MacKay Dee Hospital in Ogden Utah, Intermountain Medical Center in Murray Utah, for the great care and love they showed over the past few months.

Thanks to Julie Baumgartner for the one-on-one attention, she offered so selflessly.

The Pitcher family would like to also thank all the friends, family, and neighbors for their thoughts, prayers, visits, hugs, food, and love.

Services will be avialalbe to stream live at 11:00 am MST at the following link:

https://youtu.be/9vlo9c3ROZU