Gordon Siddoway Thatcher Washington, UT / Rexburg, ID - Gordon Siddoway Thatcher left this life to serve in his "new mission call" on October 1, 2014, at 5:49 p.m. in Washington, Utah. Gathered at his bedside were many family members. He lived an extraordinary life and his family and posterity celebrate his life and his many accomplishments. He was born of pioneer stock to Alice Siddoway Thatcher and John Kenneth Thatcher on November 15, 1931 in the old nursing home on College Avenue in Rexburg, Idaho. He was raised in the shadow of the Tetons, Sugar City, Idaho, and helped with the family farm, watering crops, harvesting potatoes and sugar beets and walking home from school to milk a barn full of cows. He attended Sugar Salem Schools through high school where he achieved many honors and graduated from high school in 1949. He remained "true blue" to Sugar City all his life. His grades as a youngster reveal a serious student who took learning and volunteering in the community to heart. He participated in scouting and was an original member of the Century Club of Targhee District, Teton Peaks Boy Scout Council. He played football, basketball and participated in track. As salutatorian, he spoke at his high school graduation "On the Path to Our Life's Work." Even then he had a clear vision of his mission and goals on earth. He desired to stand for truth and right. After his high school debate team took state in 1949, he received a debate scholarship from Ricks College in the amount of $50.00, a significant sum for the time! This scholarship increased to include both tuition and fees for debate and athleticism in football and track at the college. He served as Second Counselor to the Mission Presidency during his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1951-1953 in Great Britain, which at that time included all the British Isles. After serving an honorable mission he returned to Ricks College where he received a full tuition scholarship for a Student Assistantship in the Department of Social Science. He also again played football and participated in track and debate. He served as president of his junior and senior classes, and as student body business manager. He lettered in varsity football and track and graduated with high honors in political science in 1955. It was at Ricks College in front of the Spori Building that he met a vivacious and pretty cheerleader, Beth Pickett, who became his beloved wife of 60 years. They were married in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple on August 26, 1954. Together they traveled to Washington, D.C. where they supported each other while he attended law school. Governor Smylie of Idaho sponsored him as a working student running the elevators in the Nation's Capital. Working during the days, he attended night school, summers included, finishing his senior year of undergraduate work and law school in just three years. In all he completed 17 years of education completely supporting himself while remaining debt free. He still graduated with his Bachelor's Degree from Ricks College as salutatorian, and again he addressed his fellow classmates. During this time, he debated all over the east coast for George Washington University, receiving honors at Georgetown, College of William and Mary and at Dartmouth College tournaments. For this he received a letter of commendation from Governor Robert E. Smylie of Idaho. In a first term at law school, a professor pointed to him and said he "would fail the course." Undaunted, he received the highest grade in that class for the year and was given the American Jurisprudence Award for his accomplishment. He won numerous awards at law school including "Outstanding Individual Participant" of the Van Vleck Case Club final competition on May 4, 1957. His name is permanently engraved on a shield-shaped bronze plaque in the hall of the law school. He served as an Editor of the George Washington Law Review. He graduated second in his class and received his Doctor of Law Degree with honors at the one hundred thirty-seventh annual commencement of George Washington University on June 4, 1958, also receiving the Phi Delta Phi Graduate of the Year Award and the distinction of "Order of the Coif" for "high attainments in the study of law". He was admitted to the Idaho State Bar Association and the Supreme Court of Idaho on October 20, 1958. In 1962, he was admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. In 1981, he was admitted to the bar of the United States Supreme Court and U.S. Tax Court. Though given the opportunity for prestige and offered many positions in Washington, D.C., the couple strongly felt their love for the west and consciously chose to return to their homeland of Idaho to be with the good people there and to raise their family. He and his dear wife along with their newborn daughter, Rochelle, made the journey back to Idaho where they started with a small home purchased for $14,000, the fifth one on the Rexburg Bench Hill, and later built a lovely home near the college. They built a foundation of love and a legacy for all their posterity in Rexburg. Gordon became a full-time adjudicator for the Bureau of Land Management and formed a new law partnership with a man he greatly esteemed and admired, Ray W. Rigby. This relationship continued for more than 50 years! The partnership constructed an office building near the Rexburg, Madison County Courthouse. Their family grew: Kenneth Blake arrived in 1959, Gordon Bryce in 1962, Barry Lyman in 1964, Rebecca in 1966, Jennifer in 1972, and Melissa in 1974. After returning to Rexburg, Gordon never forgot how his scholarships helped him to get an education, and in 1963, the Alumni Association at Ricks College of which he was then President, established a special "Diamond Anniversary Alumni Student Loan Fund". This fund was by far the largest fund at the time and was available to any student "of good character, at a time of real need." Students would "repay the loans when their earning capacity, enhanced by their education, begins." He took cases, including several murder trials, by court appointment. He believed true justice is only served when the accused are properly represented. He took up many a cause of the downtrodden, the poor and the unpopular knowing that he must do what he believed to be right and to let the consequences follow. He had many great legal assistants over the years including: Anne Wieben, who has become a paralegal and serves with superlative skills; Portia Jenkins, an earlier assistant, who went on to be an exemplary student at the University Of Idaho School Of Law and now practices in Boise; and Shirley Gardner who was a great and faithful assistant to him. One of his proudest and humblest accomplishments, he believed, came as a result of general representation to help many families and individuals who had become victims of the Teton Dam Disaster of June 5, 1976. Many had lost everything, even down to the soil from their land. He was able to obtain relief for them and to secure compensation for their many losses. He developed a focus on estate planning and in his later career joined with Winston Beard, whom he greatly admired at Beard, St. Clair and Gaffney. One of the last great honors of his career was the award from the Idaho Lawyers Association, "for 50 years in the practice of law rendering conscientious and meritorious service to the Bench [Judges], Bar [Lawyers] and the Citizens of the State of Idaho". With moral convictions of integrity, honesty and the development of great character, he has been dedicated to a life of serving the legal system, his family, his community, and his Church. He always loved the mountains and rejoiced in the beauty of this vast land, often taking his family out into nature to view and partake of its majesty. In 1985, with his son, Bryce, and following the Exum Route, he summited the Grand Teton. He also climbed Mt. Borah in a terrible snow storm. He enjoyed staying fit and for over fifty years his garage door went up at 6:30 a.m. every morning, except Sunday, as he headed to workouts playing racquetball at the sports center or strengthening muscles at World Gym. He loved to play racquetball with his friends, Duane Handy and Doug Smith. Another great joy was serving with the Rexburg Kiwanis Club and participating in their meetings. Other positions of service include long membership in, and service as President of The Seventh District Bar Association, President of the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association, President of Kiwanis Club and Convention Chairman (with wife, Beth) for a District Convention for Utah-Idaho, President of The Rexburg Chamber of Commerce and President of the Ricks College Alumni. Twice he had been chosen Outstanding Alumni of Ricks College. The Boy Scouts of America honored him with distinguished service awards and with "The Extra Miler Reward." His church service includes three LDS missions: the British Mission 1951-53, Rexburg Stake Mission 1958-62, and President, with his wife, of the Micronesia Guam Mission 1992 -1995. He has served as Bishop, Stake President and Regional Representative, but he found the most joy in teaching a Sunday school lesson. He found his greatest strength, wisdom and understanding from studying the Holy Scriptures. He read the Book of Mormon more than 100 times and memorized many passages. His last service was initiatory work in the St. George LDS Temple, which he faithfully did each week in spite of his physical challenges. He greatly loved and appreciated his caregiver, Rhonda Bess, and her faithful and thoughtful service to him. Gordon is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Beth Pickett Thatcher; daughter, Rochelle (Steve) Hartmann of Seattle, WA; son, Kenneth Blake of Palatine, IL; son, Gordon Bryce (Melanie) of Washington, UT; son, Barry Lyman (Brenda) of Las Cruces, New Mexico; daughter, Rebecca (Sean) Covey of Alpine, UT; daughter, Jennifer (Shawn) Larsen of Malaysia; daughter, Melissa (Bradley Kent) Colton of New Canaan, Conn.; 38 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his dear siblings: Conley (Jane) Thatcher, Laurel Thatcher (Gael) Ulrich, and Layle (Don) Erickson. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 11, 2014 at 1:00 p.m.at the Rexburg LDS East Stake Center, 387 South 4th East, Rexburg, Idaho. Visitations will be held Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. at Flamm Mortuary located at 61 North 1st East in Rexburg and on Saturday, prior to services, at 12:00 p.m. at the Stake Center. Interment will be in the Rexburg City Cemetery.