Ernest LaVar Gunderson passed away peacefully on April 28, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was born June 28, 1929, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Henry Loren and Winnie Benson Gunderson. He moved to Vernon, Utah, where he attended school until the eighth grade before moving on to Tooele where he finished high school. After high school, he served a full-time mission in the Upper States Mission. After returning home, he attended Henager Business College.
In 1951, he entered the U.S. Air Force and trained to be an electrician. He retired in 1972. He married Freda Livingstone and together they had two children, Lilian and Charles. They later divorced. In 1973, he married April. Born to this union were sons Lonnie, RaVal and Kyle, adding to the family of three boys they already had, which included Boyd, David and Johnny. They ;ater divorced. He worked at Anaconda until it closed, then worked at the Salt Lake Salt Plant. He later met and married Lorraine Copeland in the Salt Lake Temple in 1988. From 1992-94, they served a mission together in the Texas Dallas Mission. Since then, they made their home in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He is survived by his wife, Lorraine McBride Copeland; siblings Carrol Gunderson, Myrna Green, John Gunderson (Kim) and Diane Forrester; sons Charles Baker (Marla), Boyd Gunderson, David Gunderson (Kirsten), John Gunderson (Michael), Lonnie Gunderson (Terri), Kyle Gunderson and Allen Copeland (Keaton) and daughter Christine Copeland; 22 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, as well many nieces and nephews.
Preceded in death by his parents, daughter Lilian Lindner, son RaVal Gunderson and sister Clarine Davies Hatch.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 6 at the Grantsville 7th Ward Chapel (415 W. Apple St., Grantsville). Condolences may be left online at www.didericksenmemorial.com.