(Salt Lake City, UT) - Elder William Grant Bangerter, 91, emeritus general authority and former member of the presidency of the Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints, died Sunday morning about 5:08am two months short of his 92nd birthday. He was very alert until his passing. All of his children were with him, although three were by telephone. He had been struggling with a weak heart and a bad case of pneumonia, according to the family.

The older brother of former Utah Governor Norm Bangerter and the father of LDS Relief Society General President Julie Bangerter Beck and 10 other children, Elder Bangerter served as a general authority of the church for 14 years.

Elder Bangerter was sustained as an assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve on April 5, 1975 at the age of 56. He and along with all other assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles became members of the First Quorum of Seventy October 1, 1975. He served in the Presidency of the Seventy from Sept. 30, 1978 to April 5, 1980 and again from Feb. 17, 1985 to Sept. 30, 1989.

He was called to serve as president of church's Brazilian mission headquartered in Sao Paulo in September 1958 and released in August 1963. In August 1974, he was called to preside over the church's newly created Portugal Lisbon mission until released in July 1975 following which he was called to serve as the Area Supervisor of the Stakes and Missions in Colorado and Nevada in July 1976. In October 1978 he was called to serve in the Presidency of the First Quorum of Seventy and again in April 1985. He was assigned general authority emeritus status in October 1989.

Elder Bangerter was the Managing Director of the church's temple department from February 1984 through 1989. During his tenure in the temple department, the number of operating LDS temples increased from 17 to 42, and temple enhancements included increased video presentations for temple sessions, automated computer recording systems, translation of temple instructions into additional languages and presentations for deaf members.

Following his general authority emeritus assignment, he served as president of the Jordan River Temple from 1990 to 1993. Served as the Sealing Supervior in the Mount Timpanogas Temple in 1995 and called as a Patriarch August 4, 2003 to the Alpine West Utah Stake. He was sometimes described as a quiet man, soft-spoken and deliberate, but one who displayed a sense of urgency.

Born June 8, 1918, in Granger, he was the second of 11 children to William Henry and Isabelle Bawden Bangerter. He was called as a regional representative for the church in 1967.

His first mission was to Brazil from 1939-1941 and also in the bishopric of the Granger Ward. His church service includes Bishop of Granger Ward and a stake president twice. He also served on the church's home teaching committee.

He also spent four years in the armed forces, becoming a U.S. Army Air Force pilot and training squadron commander.

Elder Bangerter served as Assistant Chairman of the Pioneer Welfare Region in 1956 and a member of the executive committee of the board of trustees on LDS Hospital.

His professional career was farming and real estate. He was considered an excellent carpenter. In 1973 he was elected to the Alpine, Utah City Council.

He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Utah where he also did graduate work with a major in history.

He married his first wife, Mildred Lee Schwantes, in 1944 and they were the parents of four children, one of whom died at birth. His first wife died of leukemia in 1952. He married Geraldine Hamblin in 1953 and they were the parents of seven children.

Funeral services for Elder Bangerter will be Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 11:00am at the American Fork LDS Tabernacle, next to American Fork Park. There will be a viewing from 9:30am to 10:30am.

Sources: Deseret News, LDS Church, Bangerter Family