Don Spence Harper, Jr.
1938 ~ 2010
Loving husband, father, brother, and grandfather, Don Spence Harper, Jr, stepped through the veil and left mortality December 30, 2010, after a long illness.He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Billie Mavoureen, his only sister, Barbara Ann DeSerpa, his five children, 14 grandchildren, two nieces, and two nephews. Don was the son of Don Spence Harper, Sr. and Rene Alice Hart. He was born August 31, 1938, in Salt Lake City, Utah. After 23 years of falling in love, he married his childhood sweetheart, Billie Mavoureen, on December 22, 1962, for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake City Temple. Together they have five children: Don Spence Harper, III (Alicia), Holly Hamson (Steve), Rebecca Ahlquist (Gregory), Guy Russell Harper, and Matthew Hart Harper. Don and Mavoureen also have 14 beautiful grandchildren. Don graduated from the Univeristy of Utah, and completed a Master’s Degree at the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, CA. Don served in the United States Navy as an Officer for 23 years circling the globe in submarines, commanding a dry dock, and working as an engineer and executive officer. His Naval career led his family criss-crossing across the United States and to Scotland. After retiring from the Navy, he worked as an engineer for General Dynamics in Groton, CT for several years before taking on the challenge of teaching AP Physics, Math, Electronics, and Photography at Alta High School for 10 years. During his tenure at Alta High School, Don entered into service at the Jordan River Temple where he and his wife served for four years. Don served faithfully in the LDS church for over 40 years and never turned down a calling. Don will be remembered as an intelligent and funny gentleman, finding humor in every situation. He always had a sea story ready and was “never a dull date.” Adventure followed Don wherever he went, and the truth being told, he pursued adventure more than once! His family and friends celebrate a life which was marked by great curiosity, a love for learning, service, work, and humor. Don will be missed by all those who knew and loved him but will be sustained by the sweet knowledge that “all things shall be restored to their proper order, everything to its natural frame-mortality to immortality…raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God.