Floyd Haupt

December 25, 1920 - December 11, 2010

Floyd Everett Haupt, age 89, of Provo, Utah, returned to Heaven to spend eternity with his beloved wife, Marian Knighton Haupt, on December 11, 2010. Floyd passed away in Springville, Utah from the rupture of an aortic aneurysm. Floyd was born in Tucson, Arizona on Christmas Day – December 25, 1920 to Carl Henry Haupt and Ruth Tucker Haupt. Floyd was the eldest of nine siblings including an unnamed brother who died at birth, Barbara Johnson, Carl Haupt, Marjorie Donaldson, Carol Sinclair, Dave Haupt, Don Haupt, and Jim Haupt. Floyd worked in the copper mines in Bisbee, Arizona prior to World War II and had a harrowing experience in the mine which solidified his faith in Jesus Christ. His LDS patriarchal blessing stated that Satan desired to take his life but that God had appointed a guardian angel to watch over him and protect him from the evil designs of Lucifer. Floyd often told a story about working in the mine one day when a railroad car broke loose from the train it was in while on an incline in a tunnel in the mine. The rail car came barreling down the tunnel straight at Floyd. At the last moment possible the walls of the tunnel appeared to narrow of their own accord and the car, which had just barely freely passed that point as a part of the train, became lodged between the walls of the tunnel, thus sparing Floyd's life. He married Marian Knighton on June 12, 1947 in services which were solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Floyd met Marian Knighton while he was attending the University of Arizona. Marian had accompanied her sick twin sister, Marguerite, to Arizona in an attempt to provide some healing relief to Marguerite in the Arizona desert climate. One day, after playing in a softball game and getting all bloodied and bruised in the sport, Floyd walked over to Marian's apartment and knocked on her door. Marian came to the door and Floyd said. "Hi, would you like to go out with a corpse?" Evidently, Marian answered in the affirmative. He earned both a B.S. in Mathematics and an M.S. in Mathematics from the University of Arizona. He interrupted his undergraduate studies when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942. Floyd was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant and was assigned as the navigator of a B-24 Liberator bomber in the 464th Bomb Group within the 15th Air Force. Floyd flew 50 combat missions out of bases in North Africa and later in Pantenella, Italy. On D-Day he found himself on a bombing run over the infamous Ploesti oil refinery in Romania. He was highly decorated for his bravery and was awarded the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Flying Cross, a rare Certificate of Valor, the European and African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Four Bronze Service Star, the Silver Service Star, Army Good Conduct Medal, the Air Medal with Triple Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit, and the French Croix De Guerre Medal. Following combat duty, Floyd served as a navigation instructor until his honorable discharge from military service at the conclusion of World War II. Floyd provided for his family even while he was at war. Prior to his departure from home he used funds he had saved from his work in the mine and used it to purchase bulk food for his large family. Floyd was keenly aware that he was the oldest child and that he had a responsibility to care for his loved ones. He also sent his military earnings home in order to provide some income to his financially-strapped parents in their efforts to care for the remaining children at home. Finally, even after the war was over and both of his parents were deceased, Floyd, as the sole remaining owner of the family home (he helped his parents financially with the down payment on the house) sold the home and evenly split the proceeds with all of his siblings. This action was in keeping with Floyd's deep and abiding love for his family. Throughout his life Floyd had trouble expressing his deepest emotions verbally. He was seldom able to say "I love you." But Floyd had another way to say "I love you." He did it through countless acts of service, acts of charity, and acts of love. He said through his Christ-like deeds that which he had difficulty saying verbally. His family was never in doubt as to the sincerity of Floyd's love. He showered his loved ones with selfless acts of service. He was always there to lend a hand when there were needs. Floyd was a testament to love in action. Floyd's B-24 Liberator was shot down during one of his combat missions. The pilot managed to glide the airplane out over the Adriatic Sea then Floyd and the rest of his crew bailed out over the island of Vis, which fortunately was controlled by the British. Floyd landed in a vineyard. Floyd was fond of recalling how a Yugoslavian peasant came running up to him with a flask and urged Floyd, a teetotaler, to take a drink. Dad obliged, and recounted that it didn't take him long to realize that the liquid was from the last year's crop. In saving his life by parachute, Floyd was inducted into the Caterpillar Club, an informal association of people who successfully used a parachute to bail out of a disabled aircraft. Floyd had a membership card and a lapel pin denoting his membership in the club. Following receipt of his graduate degree from the University of Arizona, Floyd began his professional career as a mathematics teacher at Mount Pleasant High School in Mount Pleasant, Utah. He subsequently moved to Price, Utah where he served on the mathematics faculty at the College of Eastern Utah. He then briefly served as an Instructor in continued... 1 2 3 4 5 Next ...continued the Department of Mathematics at the University of Utah. Floyd then moved to Brigham Young University beginning in 1954 as a mathematics Instructor. In 1960 he took a sabbatical and spent the next 18 months as a computer programmer at the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Testing Center in California. He worked on the guidance system for the Navy's first Sidewinder missile. At that time high-level computer languages did not exist, so mathematicians were highly sought after because they could program in Assembly Language, the only programming language in use at that time. In fact, Floyd was the first faculty member at Brigham Young University to ever program a digital computer. His early research at BYU in computer science resulted in him giving a talk to the university faculty and his prediction to them that computers would one day become pervasive in society. Subsequent to his sabbatical, Brigham Young University promoted him to Assistant Professor. Floyd was a popular teacher on campus and one year during the mid 1950s the BYU Student Body elected him "Professor Snarf", an award of which he was extremely proud. Floyd pioneered the modular teaching of Algebra at Brigham Young University. He wrote the modular texts for Mathematics 110 (College Algebra), which texts provided the foundation for Algebra education at Brigham Young University for many years. Floyd authored several college mathematical text books as well as one computer science text – Elementary Assembler Language Programming. Brigham Young University promoted Floyd to the position of Associate Professor in the waning years of his career. Floyd was an expert genealogist. He was skilled in solving genealogical research problems using mathematical techniques such as game theory, calculus, and logic. In one incident famous within his family, he traced the birthplace of an ancestor in Germany by using mathematical techniques to determine where the ancestor "wasn't" instead of where he "was." Once he had eliminated everywhere in Germany where the ancestor "wasn't" a search of parish registers in the only remaining part of Germany that had not been eliminated revealed the ancestor's birth place. Floyd produced a voluminous body of work in genealogy and this genealogical research now resides in the care of his eldest daughter, Ruth Ellen. Floyd also worked as a professional genealogist for a number of years. He also served many years as a Southern States specialist at the Family History Library at Brigham Young University. He spent countless Sunday afternoons and evenings at BYU's Family History Library freely giving of his expertise in assisting library patrons in researching their own genealogies. Additionally, Floyd invented The Universal System of Relationships (USR), which allows genealogists/mathematicians to precisely determine the exact relationship of any person who has ever lived to any other person – as long as adequate genealogical records are available. In fact, through USR, Floyd discovered that people actually have a relationship to themselves. This relationship is that of a negative first cousin, zero times removed and can be expressed as an ordered pair of integers (-1, 0). USR was converted into a software program by Dr. Seung Jin Lim, Professor of Computer Science at Utah State University. Dr. Lim presented the completed Java-based program to Floyd and his daughter, Patty, at a private presentation at Utah State University. Patty reported that Floyd's eyes went wide with delight when he saw his mathematics come to life on the overhead monitor and that he giggled like a little child as he experienced one of the high points of his life as the program successfully merged GEDCOM files containing more than 22,000 persons and converted those names to Floyd's USR format. Floyd was also a gifted Gospel scholar. Following a pattern he consistently used throughout his life, Floyd would use mathematical techniques to research and teach Gospel principles. For instance, he once taught his family that the Law of Tithing was just an example of a Linear Equation in Slope/Intercept Form. Perhaps his greatest discovery regarding the Gospel and mathematics was his declaration that the second chapter of 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon contained the spiritual equivalents of all three of Sir Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion. Floyd observed that the Prophet Lehi presented these laws in reverse order to how Newton listed them – but that all three of the laws were indeed present in that single chapter of scripture. Floyd taught that the Lord has never given a commandment which He considered to be temporal. To God, and to Floyd, all commandments were spiritual before they were temporal. Therefore, Floyd taught, Newton discovered a temporal expression of spiritual laws. Lehi, on the other hand, understood the spiritual nature of the laws of motion and concentrated on explaining to us how our spirits are subject to spiritual laws. Floyd loved the scriptures and possessed a deep understanding of them. He was particularly fond of the Old Testament. In one memorable family experience Floyd's knowledge of the Old Testament proved quite fortuitous. Floyd loved the city of Jerusalem and possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of its history and place in prophesied future events. In June of 1967 the State of Israel captured East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War. During that eventful week, Floyd had taken his family to California for a vacation. Floyd kept close track of the battle for Jerusalem during that vacation. He spent considerable time during that vacation lecturing his wife, Marian, and his children Ruth Ellen, Lois, Joyce, Carl, Robert, and Patty about the scriptural significance of this event. He would recite verses from the Old Testament to provide context to the events on the battleground and explained in intimate detail the role of Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple there as significant events leading up to the return of Jesus Christ to the earth. His children still fondly recall this special time with their father as he demonstrated his considerable Gospel knowledge in teaching them while on vacation. In, fact, upon returning from vacation, Floyd wrote a check for $10 to the Israeli Temple continued... Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next ...continued Fund and sent it to the Israeli government. Not knowing what to do with the check, the Israeli government deposited the check into their Defense fund. Floyd basked in the knowledge that he was the first person in this dispensation to contribute to the Temple Fund. He kept the returned check as proof of that feat. Floyd served as a Stake Missionary for many years in the Provo, Utah Stake. He also served as the Stake Mission President of the Provo, Utah Stake and also as a member of the Stake High Council. One of his memorable acts of church service involved spending many evenings on the lawn of the Provo Tabernacle, protecting the buildings and grounds from desecrating acts by unruly youths during the turbulent period of the 1960s. Floyd had a great love of music and assembled an impressive collection of classical music. He preferred classical music as he felt it was the type of music that touched his spirit and allowed him to feel the spirit of his Heavenly Father. He never learned to sing or to play an instrument, but the Spirit of the Lord was strong in Floyd and he used music to draw nearer to God. Floyd was possessed with a terrific sense of humor. He taught his children that the perfect number was 2.8. On one occasion Floyd, Marian, and all their children were seated at a picnic table in their backyard husking corn. One of the children found a worm in an ear of corn and was worried about that situation. Floyd remarked that there was nothing to worry about because the worm's name was George, and that somehow that made everything all better. Floyd also wrote hundreds of funny "Hog" stories and his sister, Barbara, compiled them and published them. Every story began the same: "Once upon a time there was a hog. Which, as you know, is the way that all hog stories must begin…" At that point the stories would diverge into endless comedy with many of the stories intertwined with the issues of the day. Floyd also had an interesting experience in relation to an airplane hijacking. On the evening of April 7, 1972 Richard Floyd McCoy, Jr. boarded United Airlines Flight 855 en route from Newark, New Jersey to Los Angeles, California with a stopover in Denver, Colorado. Approximately 20 minutes after takeoff from Denver, Mr. McCoy was observed in his seat holding a hand grenade. Soon afterward, McCoy began to also brandish a pistol. Via a letter to the captain of the airplane, McCoy demanded that the aircraft be diverted to San Francisco. Once in San Francisco McCoy demanded and received $500,000 in cash and four parachutes. After receiving the money and the parachutes, McCoy released the passengers and one of the stewardesses. The aircraft was refueled. McCoy then ordered the Boeing 727 (a model with a rear door) to take off, climb to 16,000 feet and fly at exactly 200 miles per hour on a course that would bring the aircraft into Utah. McCoy ordered the airplane to be depressurized. He also threatened that if a chase plane was spotted that he would detonate a hidden explosive device after he had jumped. McCoy did indeed jump from the 727 via the rear door during the nighttime flight. The next morning at approximately 6 a.m. an FBI agent placed a telephone call to Floyd at home. Floyd was well-known in Provo for his mathematical expertise and evidently the FBI agent knew of his reputation. The FBI agent explained what had happened to Floyd and provided him with the altitude, heading, airspeed, and wind speed conditions at the time McCoy jumped out of the aircraft. The agent wanted Floyd to calculate the area in which the hijacker could have landed. Floyd responded with a comment that the FBI agents should have learned algebra in college. Then, without using pencil and paper, Floyd solved the problem in his head and provided the answer to the FBI agent. The agent was amazed, and then chagrined when Floyd told him the information wouldn't do him any good. "Why?" asked the FBI agent. "Because," Floyd answered, "the hijacker could be in Las Vegas by now!" It turned out that McCoy was the husband of his son Carl's high school history teacher. Floyd's son, Carl, reported that after McCoy was arrested that Mrs. McCoy was no longer seen at Provo High School. The family all felt a great deal of empathy for Mrs. McCoy but also pride that Floyd's mathematical skills assisted in the capture of the hijacker. Floyd was also a dedicated BYU football fan. He was a longtime season ticket holder and regarded his annual purchase of four season tickets to be a budgetary priority item. Preparing for a football game was a ritual for Floyd. He declared football games to be a time for family picnics. He would carefully prepare hot chocolate and hot dogs (each child had to put in advance orders for quantity of hot dogs desired as well as preferred toppings with which to accessorize each one of them.) He was known to purchase popcorn at the games but regretted that he didn't bring it from home. Some of his favorite football outings occurred during BYU's evolution to passing fame. He enjoyed watching BYU greats such as Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Virgil Carter, Gifford Neilson, and Phil Odle. In fact, his tradition of taking his children to BYU football games began in the mid 1950s. At that time the football team was not very good and the BYU administration would hand out free tickets to faculty and staff in order to put people in the seats on Saturdays. Dad eagerly got all the free tickets he could and would take all his children to the games. He had favorite phrases he would only use during the games, such as "He really came to play." Other phrases he used aren't fit for an obituary, yet they are hilarious. Just speak continued... Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next ...continued to any of his children if you want a private recitation of these other game day phrases. One of Floyd's favorite football times came in the late 1970s when his sons Carl and Robert would bring portable VHF scanner radios to the games and would intercept the coaches calling plays from the press box. Bob and Carl would yell out the play just prior to the snap and people around Floyd's family would look on in awe at the inspired predictions from Floyd's sons. Floyd soaked it all in and loved every minute of these times with his children. In his early years at BYU Floyd would also support the school's basketball team. He would take his family to basketball games at the Smith Field house. After the Marriott Center was built Floyd's attendance at the basketball games dropped off, but he would cheerfully listen in to the games on KSL radio. Floyd (call sign W6SVE) was an amateur radio operator. During his teenage years he designed and built a 160 meter band transmitter and matching receiver. His antenna consisted of a long wire that he attached to the top of a hill above his home. He spoke to other HAM radio operators all over the world. Three of his children have carried on this amateur radio tradition: Carl (KG4UQD), Ruth Ellen (KC9QJD), and Patty (KE7VRH). Floyd was an avid gardener. He took great pride in growing his own food and then canning it in preparation for the future. He loved tending his fruit trees and could be found each spring spraying the trees to ensure a bountiful harvest. He grew apples, plums, prunes, apricots, peaches, cherries, and nut trees. Floyd followed the counsel of his church leaders and carefully assembled a year's supply of food, clothing, fuel, and many other items in keeping with this commandment. Floyd was proud that all of his children graduated from college. Ruth Ellen received a B.A. in English, Lois earned a B.S. in Nursing, Joyce earned an Associate of Arts in Library Technology and a B. A. in University Studies, Carl earned a B.A. in Communications and an M.A. in Technical Communication, Robert earned a B.S. in Computer Science, and Patty earned a B.A. in Fashion Merchandising. All of the undergraduate degrees were awarded by Brigham Young University. Carl's M.A. was awarded by Minnesota State University, Mankato. Floyd was equally happy with the fact that all six of his children are faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He supported three of them through missions: Carl (Canada-Toronto mission), Joyce (Germany Düsseldorf Mission), and Robert (Minnesota Minneapolis Mission). All of his children were married in the temple and are active in their various callings in the church. It is to Floyd's credit and personal involvement with his children that they each received their own testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Floyd was a master teacher of the things of the Spirit and took delight in teaching the Gospel to his children. Floyd went through a trying time in his life when he lost his beloved wife, Marian, to cancer in 1977 following her own trial of five years of illness prior to her death. It broke Floyd's heart when he pronounced a Blessing of Release from this life upon Marian during her final moments in mortality. Floyd spent the last 33 years of his life yearning for his reunion with Marian and that has now come to pass. There is great joy on the other side of the veil as Floyd, Marian, and his parents have been reunited for the eternities. Floyd was predeceased by his son, James, in 1948, his beloved wife Marian Knighton Haupt who passed away on August 24, 1977, his brother, Don, who passed away on September 7, 1998, his great grand-daughter Marian Berry, and his unnamed brother, who died at birth. Floyd is survived by his children Ruth Ellen Homer, a resident of Fishers, Indiana; Lois Ito, a resident of Clinton, Utah; Joyce Neilson, a resident of Kendallville, Indiana; Carl, a resident of Tooele, Utah; Robert, a resident of Springville, Utah; and Patty Peterson, a resident of North Logan, Utah. Also surviving Floyd are his 24 grandchildren Lawrence Homer, Cheryl Moody, Gail Berry, Ronald Homer, Carolyn Homer, Marian Ito, Patty Bartholomew, Bryce Ito, Everett Ito, Jacob Ito, James Ito, Spencer Ito, Andrew Neilson, Amy Landon, Kerstin James, Mark Neilson, Elizabeth Neilson, Katherine Morgan, Joshua Haupt, Laurie Haupt, Lindsay Haupt, Tracey Haupt, Christopher Peterson, and Emily Peterson. Floyd is also survived by 23 great-grandchildren: Douglas Moody, Rachel Moody, Patrick Moody, Abby Moody, Eric Berry, Daniel Berry, Samuel Berry, Haili Bartholomew, Laurie Bartholomew, Lily Ito, Joann Ito, Megan Ito, Amy Ito, Jack Ito, Benjamin Landon, McKenzie Landon, Brayden Landon, Tatum James, Carson James, Raegan James, Sariah Morgan, Logan Haupt, and William Haupt. The funeral will be held at the Hobble Creek 2nd Ward Chapel, 1440 East 900 South, Springville, Utah on Saturday, December 18, 2010. Bishop Jim Nelson will officiate at the funeral services. Floyd's granddaughter Gail Berry will serve as organist and his granddaughter Cheryl Moody will serve as chorister. Pallbearers include Christopher James Peterson, Bryce Ito, Everett Ito, Jacob Ito, James Ito, Spencer Ito, Mark Neilson, and Kevin Bartholomew. Honorary Pallbearers include Larry Homer, Ronald F. Homer, Jacob Ito, Joshua Haupt, Ned James, Gregory Moody, Jon S. Berry, Glenn A. Morgan and Scott Landon. A graveside service will be held immediately following the funeral service, and Bob Haupt will dedicate the grave. Full military honors will be accorded Floyd at his funeral and the graveside service. The funeral will be webcasted at www.thefuneralview.com Interment will be in the Provo City Cemetery where Floyd will be laid to rest next to the love of his life, his wife Marian Knighton Haupt. They were one in life and they are now reunited and jointly enfolded about in the eternally loving arms of their Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Funeral and burial arrangements are being provided by Berg Mortuary of Provo, Utah. Further information about services continued... Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next ...continued can be obtained by calling Robert Haupt at (801) 489-0916 or (801) 830-1794. In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. - John McCrae Farewell dear father, brother, grandfather, uncle, great grandfather, and friend. We have been richly blessed by thy sweet spirit, enduring testimony, countless charitable acts, and endless love. Farewell, yet again, till we meet as an eternal family at the bar of God and, with contrite hearts and on bended knees, humbly confess that Jesus is the Christ. Condolences may be sent through www.bergmortuary.com or [email protected] Previous 1 2 3 4 5