Douglas Hal
Mendenhall, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend passed
away on Friday, December 18, 2020. Our hearts ache in this loss, ache for lost time.
He made this world a brighter and better place and leaves behind a legacy of
love and service which is indelibly etched into the hearts and minds of all.
Those that knew him, were better because of him.
Doug was
born on March 8, 1957 in Fillmore, Utah to Joseph 'Hal' and Doris Mendenhall.
He was the second youngest of five competitive boys. Despite living the
majority of his life in Taylorsville, Utah; home would always be where he spent
the later years of his life in Mount Pleasant, Utah.
He was so many
things to so many people. For some, Doug, was a brother to play catch with,
while others recall the gifted athlete who lettered in high school. He was the deep
threat in basketball and the perfect set on the volleyball court. To many, he
was a youth soccer league president, to hundreds more a coach, and to those few
that had the privilege, the ever-present cheerleader. He was a young men’s advisor
who was still a kid at heart. He was a successful entrepreneur, a top performer,
and VP of Sales. Like his father, his blood ran “true blue”.
He graduated
from Cottonwood High School where he loved to be with his friends. He served an
LDS mission to Madrid/Seville, Spain. It was shortly upon returning from his
mission that he found and married the love of his life, Dianne Shelton, in the
Salt Lake Temple on September 15, 1978. Their marriage was the epitome of love
because of their soft-spoken admiration, respect, and service to each other.
It has been
said that when we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own
lives and our own happiness. If that is the case, there was no one as
completely lost and as happy as Doug.
His true purpose in life was to serve God and his family. He was a best friend and confidant, especially to the one or the lonely. He was a servant and protector, a helpmate and ‘honey’. He was a Godly inspired author who had a deep desire to understand the scriptures and the spiritual side of this world. He was an everyday hero, a humble disciple of God, a healer and vanquisher of evil.
Many may
never fully understand the miraculous scope of his generosity, service, and
love. For as long as we have voices, we forever and sincerely say thank you, Doug,
for sustaining us through your life.
Doug is
survived by his sweetheart and wife, Dianne, his children, David (Kimberly),
Deon (Mike Schuhmann), Darin (Tammy), Debi (Daniel James), Denise (Daniel
Malachowski), Dwight (McKenna), 23 adoring grandchildren with one more on the
way, and many nieces, nephews, and special friends. He is preceded in death by
his daughter Dawn, his parents, and his brother Hugh.
The family
wishes to thank all those who loved and took care of him during this challenging
time. We ask that you please hug your loved ones a little longer and a little tighter.
Tell them you love them. Do this because you love them, but also do this for
all those who no longer get to. At the end of life, we will not be judged by
how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great
things we have done. Rather, we will be judged by, “I was an hungred, and ye
gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye
took me in”.
We would
like to invite all who wish to attend a public viewing on Monday,
December 28, 2020 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM and December 29, 2020 from 10:30 AM
to 11:30 AM. The viewing will be held at Rasmussen Mortuary located at 96 North
100 West in Mount Pleasant, Utah. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday,
December 29, 2020 at 12:00 PM. To ensure the health and safety of others, the
funeral will be by invitation only but can be viewed via live stream. The live stream
link and condolences can be found at rasmussenmortuary.com. Interment, which
will also be live streamed, will be held at the Mount Pleasant City Cemetery.
We also would invite all who knew him to share a thought or story.
For those that have reached out wanting to help Dianne with funeral expenses, we express our deepest gratitude. We felt the easiest way to handle this would be to provide you her venmo information. We are not asking for donations. We have just had so many ask to help. Thank you all. Venmo - @Doug-Mendenhall-1