Wallace "Gary" Gerald Harmer

Gary Harmer

Cottonwood Heights

Wallace Gerald "Gary" Harmer left this life peacefully on November 4, 2017 in Murray, surrounded by his loving family. Gary was the first-born son of Wallace Giles Harmer and Wilma Gudney Bearnson. He was raised in Springville, Utah where he learned to work at an early age in his family farm operation.

As a young man, Gary served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Central States Mission. Soon after returning from his missionary service he met and married his sweetheart, Marilyn Magleby, in the Manti Temple on June 24, 1960.

Gary earned a degree in Accounting from BYU and as a CPA had a distinguished career, first in public accounting and later in public finance and school administration. He served as the business administrator for the Salt Lake City School District for many years where, under his leadership, the district became one of a handful of school districts in the nation with a AAA Bond Rating. Because of his expertise in public finance and accounting, he was selected to serve on the Governmental Accounting Standards Board ("GASB") in Stamford, Connecticut. He also served as vice chairman of the National Council on Governmental Accounting, president of the Utah Association of School Business Officials and was on the board of advisors of the BYU School of Accountancy. After his retirement from the Salt Lake School District, he served as the treasurer of the City of Cottonwood Heights, where in 2009 he was nominated for and awarded a Best of State medal as Utah’s Best Appointed Official. He most recently served as president of the Board of Directors for Educators Mutual Insurance.

In addition to his remarkable career, Gary considered his greatest legacy and most treasured accomplishment to be his family. He and Marilyn are the parents of 6 children. He took great pleasure in being with his 25 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. He spent countless hours teaching his children and grandchildren to not only work hard but to play hard as well. They all have great memories of snow and water skiing, mountain and motorbike riding, trips to Lake Powell and vacationing together. The love and service he gave to his family, exemplified our family motto, "Family is Everything".

Gary was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and especially enjoyed working with the youth where he served numerous times as a Scoutmaster, even at the age of 70. He influenced the lives of dozens of young men for good through his dedicated and tireless service. He served as a counselor to three bishops and was a faithful and dedicated home teacher. In their later years, Gary and Marilyn served twice as full-time missionaries, in the Salt Lake Inner City Mission and the Salt Lake City East Mission, where they touched the lives of many by their influence and example.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marilyn; children; Kelle (Christian) Smith, Lisa (Michael) Christensen, Scott (Amy Dott) Harmer, Heidi (Dan) Owen, Holly (Travis) Ogden, Tara (Dave) McLay. Siblings: Allan (Pat) Harmer, David (Ila) Harmer, Marie (Dan) Poulson; as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Steven; grandson, Winston Wallace.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, November 10, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. in the Butler 20th Ward Building, 1355 E. 7200 S. Friends may call at the ward chapel Thursday evening from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:30 to 10:30. Interment will be in the Memorial Mountain View Cemetery in Cottonwood Heights. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti. Online guestbook at www.maglebymortuary.com

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to The Perpetual Education Fund at http://give.lds.org./pef