| Obituary |
- Melvin Victor Berrett departed this earthly existence on February 20, 2019, at the age of 78, causes incident to being ancient (his words). He was born in Twin Falls, Idaho on June 17, 1940, the son of Melvin "S" Berrett and Venice Telford. Vic married Nancy Lee Mabie in Aiea, Hawaii in August 1963, and their marriage was solemnized in the LDS Hawaii Temple five months later.
Vic had a happy boyhood as he was reared in Twin Falls. As a young man, he loved basketball, bowling and playing tennis, and he has "played" golf since junior high school. He loved the outdoors with its fishing, hunting, and camping. Upon graduating from high school in Twin Falls, Vic joined the Navy as an I.C. Electrician and qualified in submarines. He left the Navy in 1964 to attend Utah State University, where he received both his Bachelor and Master degrees, graduating cum laude in Communicative Disorders. He followed this with his doctorate in Audiology at the University of Iowa. Vic joined the faculty of Eastern New Mexico University in 1972 and went on to become a tenured senior professor and Chairman of the Department of Communicative Arts and Sciences. He resigned from ENMU in 1980 and accepted a commission in the Navy as a Lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps (at one time he was the Navy's senior audiologist). After 5 more years of active duty, Vic shifted to the Navy Reserve and joined an ear, nose, and throat medical practice in Chesapeake, VA, while at the same time starting a private practice in audiology. Vic had many jobs while in the Navy Reserve, including Commanding Officer three times. He fully retired from the Navy as a Commander.
In 1998, after attending his 40th high school class reunion, Vic became so homesick for the West that he and his family with him at the time moved from Virginia to South Weber, Utah. There he worked in both private audiology practices and with another ENT practice. He retired from his private practice in 2008.
Vic held many church callings throughout his life, including Branch President and Bishop (twice). He loved the gospel of Jesus Christ and was delighted each time he was called to be a teacher. Vic was called in 2004 to be a temple worker in the Ogden Temple, a calling he in particular loved. Vic and his wife Nancy were called to and served honorably as Military Relations missionaries in the California San Diego Mission from 2009-2011. While serving as missionaries there, they also served as workers in the San Diego temple. Vic was later called to be an ordinance worker in the renovated Ogden temple in 2014, a calling he honorably served up until his passing.
In the later years of his life, Vic particularly enjoyed taking his travel trailer across the country, visiting historical sites and finding remote places to camp with his family. Vic was an avid reader and scholar throughout his life. Most of all, he loved his family (Nancy, three sons, and a daughter) and delighted in spending time with their families. He was the eternal optimist. Life was always lots of fun. He had hopes that his gravestone would read "Here lies a good ol' dad"; anyone who knew him would already think that anyway.
He will be greatly missed by all those who knew him, yet we rejoice in the knowledge we can all be with him one day if we live our lives as he lived his.
Vic is survived by his wife Nancy, his children Matt (Rebecca), Jared (Kristy), Wendy, and Adam (Jessica), 13 grandchildren and his sister Jan (Murry).
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1940 - 2019 (78 years)
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