Boyd K. Packer, the second most senior apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Weber State University alumnus, died on Friday morning in his home. He was 90 years old.
“Today, the world lost not just a great teacher and man, but an apostle of God,” said Greg Thorpe, a teacher at the Ogden LDS Institute of Religion. “His teachings have blessed, and will continue to bless, my life.”
Packer was born in Brigham City in 1924. After graduating from high school, he joined the Air Force and served as a fighter pilot until the end of World War II.
After being released from the armed forces, Packer enrolled at Weber College and obtained a degree in general studies. He later continued his education at Utah State University and Brigham Young University where he earned his doctorate degree in educational sciences in 1962.
“Packer taught both of my grandparents as seminary students in Brigham City,” said Blake Tolman, a Supply Chain Management student at WSU. “He had a great influence on them.”
Following a career in religious education, Packer became an LDS apostle in 1970 and served in this position until his death.
Despite spending a comparably short time at what is now WSU, he left a significant legacy at the university.
In 2013, the WSU Center for Family and Community Education was named after Packer and his wife, Donna, who first met at Weber College. Packer frequently made reference to his time at Weber College in public sermons, with his last reference in 2014 giving WSU some exposure to a global audience.
