St. George, UT - Melvin VerDell Lunt, our dad, teacher, example, companion and friend passed away peacefully at the age of 78, Sunday, the 27th of June., at his home in St. George, Utah. He was born on the 10th of June, 1932, in Cedar City, Utah to Parley VerDell Lunt and Lasca Chamberlain Lunt. He married his sweetheart, Carol LaRae Francom, in the St. George temple on May 3rd, 1952 and together they had five children. Our dad loved his country and the principles it stands for. He also had a great love of the land and approached adventure with enthusiasm. In 1951, he joined the Air Force where he taught wilderness survival skills to other Air Force personnel and skied with the Air Force ski team. After serving in the Air Force, he pursued a career in law enforcement and frequently volunteered for search and rescue operations. He placed great importance on helping and protecting people while vigorously defending the principle of the rule of law. He spent the later years of his career as an administrative law judge in the State of Nevada. Dad loved outdoor activities and derived great pleasure from teaching his kids to ski, hunt, hike, and how to live off the land. He loved building dune buggies and riding dirt bikes and transferred that love to his sons. To dad, the world was full of wonder and he saw evidence of the hand of God in all things. Some of his greatest sermons were delivered on mountain trails and in campsites under the stars. He approached his activity in the LDS church with similar enthusiasm where he served as a teacher/advisor, a counselor in a bishopric, a member of a stake high council, and as a stake patriarch in the Las Vegas Sunrise Stake and the Enoch, Utah Stake. He and mom served church missions in the Philippines, Nauvoo, Australia, and Washington DC. He also served as a member of a branch presidency at the Provo Missionary Training Center and with mom as a temple worker at the Manti Temple. In every way, he was a wonderful example to the rest of his family of faithful service. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Christine Lunt Hale and son-in-law, Robert Hale. He is survived by his wife: Carol L. Lunt; son: M. Daniel Lunt married to Lori Nielsen (Greene) Lunt residing in Sandy, Utah; son: Ronald V. Lunt married to Linda Jones Lunt residing in Burkburnett, TX; daughter: Sherry Kendrick married to Ed Kendrick residing in Overton, NV; daughter: Sandra Fitzgerald married to Robert Fitzgerald residing in St. George, Utah; and sister: Geraldine Lunt Snyder married to Kent Snyder residing in Kanab, Utah. He and mom have 26 grandchildren and 43 great-grandchildren. Funeral Services will be held Friday, July 2, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at the Levan LDS Ward Chapel, 25 North 100 East, Levan, Utah. Visitation will be held Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at the Chapel, prior to services. Interment will be at the Payson City Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, (435) 673-4221.