Basil E. Shaver

Richfield, Utah - Basil Earl Shaver, age 91, died peacefully on the morning of February 16, 2013 at his home in Richfield, with his family near him. He was born August 25, 1921 in Winchester, Ontario, Canada, a son of Hiram Earl and Bernice Cecillia Stewart Shaver. He lived in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada until he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940, where he served as a Wireless Radio operator on bombers until the end of the war. Basil married Leona Margareta Straby, June 23, 1945 in Ottawa, where they lived until 1953 when they immigrated to the states in the summer of 1953. That summer, their marriage was solemnized in the Logan LDS Temple. They then moved on to the Los Angeles area, where he worked for Olympic Paint and Varnish until he became a licensed painting contractor. They moved to Annabella in the summer of 1970 where they lived until they started going on missions. Basil continued to paint and he also worked for the Central Educational services. In 1980, he established Shaver Pest Control that has operated as a family business in the Sevier and adjacent counties since then. Basil served in several positions in the LDS Church, including a counselor in an Elders Quorum Presidency, a High Councilman in the Monroe Utah Stake and as a Cubmaster. He and his wife, Lee, then went into the mission phase of their lives when they served in the Kinshasa Zaire Mission, the Brazzaville Congo Mission, the Richfield Employment Services Mission and the Paris France Mission. He is survived by his loving wife, Lee, of Richfield; his children: Stewart and Cynthia Shaver of Richfield; Ronald and Karen Shaver of Santa Clara; Doris (the late John S. Johnson) of Richfield; Brian and Elisabeth Shaver of Keizer, Oregon; Steve and Yvonne Shaver of Monroe; 30 grandchildren; 70 great-grandchildren; a sister: Betty Widdowfield of Ottawa, Canada; a brother-in-law: Bruce and Chris Straby of Ottawa, Canada; and a sisters-in-law: Vilma and Walter (Deceased) Johanson of San Bruno, California; Phyllis Straby of Lanark, Ontario, Canada; and Barbara Ann Menard of South Lancaster, Ontario, Canada. He is preceded in death by his parents; a sister, June and Morris Hastie; and his wife's siblings: Conrad and EVa Straby; Elvira and Robert Culbert; Elda and Arnold Thompson; Henry and Rita Straby; Herta and Thomas Clary; Edgar and Denise Straby; Norma and Howard Johnston; Doris and Robert Addison; Bob Straby; Frances and Eugen Pfitzer. Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 12 Noon in the Richfield 7th LDS Ward Chapel, 159 North 400 West in Richfield, where friends may call for viewing Saturday morning from 10:00 to 11:30 prior to the services. Burial with military honors accorded by the VFW Sevier Post #5050 and the Utah Honor Guard will be in the Annabella Cemetery under the care of the Springer Turner Funeral Home of Richfield and Salina, Utah.