Rodney Pearson

Rodney Sim Pearson, age 80, a wonderful husband, father, friend, and patriot, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 8th, 2023. His family was able to be there with him and watch him joke around as always, during his last hours on this earth.  It is with great joy that he will be reunited with his beautiful wife on the other side, Valerie Proctor Pearson. 

Rod was born and raised in Circleville, Utah to Sybil Joyce and Joseph Lorenzo Pearson. He was a great storyteller and many of his stories come from this early time in his life where he worked as a sheep herder and listened to stories of his dad’s adventures being a government trapper. .Rod passed these stories onto his children, grandchildren, and many youth in the community as he shared them at local school and church events.

Rodney served in the Navy from 1961-1965. He was able to serve on the same boat as his older brother, Lloyd Jay Pearson, and that time was a turning point in his life. Rodney met the love of his life when he was growing up, in the next town over in Panguitch, Utah. Their love developed over the years and when he was honorably released from the Navy, he decided to change the course of his life and marry Valerie. They were married in the St. George, Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 13, 1965. They began their life together in Southern California and moved to Las Vegas. In Las Vegas their family grew as they welcomed Tami RaNora, Valaney Joyce, Thomas Joseph, and Kimberly Melissa. In 1980, Rodney and Valerie moved to the beautiful Pacific Northwest to raise their family in Dalton Gardens. Julianna Joy was welcomed to the family in Idaho. Rodney retired from Avista and enjoyed retired life in Rathdrum, Idaho with his children and grandchildren.

Rodney had a large impact on everyone he came in contact with. He spent countless hours serving and caring for those in his community, and always shared the harvest from his garden and small farm in Dalton and was willing to help fix anyone’s car that was in need, often time in exchange for a chocolate cake instead of payment if that was what they could afford. Rodney worked hard to support his family and taught his children the importance of service to others and hard work. He was known for his dutch-oven cooking, pig roasts, campouts, love for Elvis, John Wayne, Louis L’Amour, and Clint Eastwood. He was quite the prankster and never grew out of that, even at the age of 80. His influence will be remembered and passed down for generations to come as his stories and traditions are passed on. 

The greatest thing that Rodney has passed onto his children and grandchildren is his faith. He was someone that worked every day to be a follower of Jesus Christ. He was active in his congregation in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and spent many years teaching the youth and his peers. His faith in Jesus Christ was alway at the forefront of his religion and he expressed that faith by trying to follow in the Savior’s footsteps by serving those around him. Rodney made many changes in his life as he sought to do the one thing that he counseled his children and grandchildren to do, which was to “Improve on every generation.” Rodney was able to do that with great influences from his family, friends, and most of all, his faith and focus on Jesus Christ. 

Rodney  was preceded in death by his wife, Valerie Proctor; parents, Joseph Lorenzo  and Syble Pearson; siblings, Jay Lloyd, Richard Neil, and Harvey Joe. 

He is survived by his siblings, Lanita May Thompson and Max Clark; his five children, Tami Hern (Jack), Valany Hardy (John), Thomas Pearson (Colleen), Kimberly Miller (Jeff), and Juli Pearson and their 19 grandchildren.

Services are open to the public and will be held on Monday, January 16th at 11am at the LDS church on 15151 N. Meyer Rd. in Rathdrum, Idaho.

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