Obituary-Marlan Joseph Haslam

passed away October 14, 2024, at the age of 93 in the arms of his wife Pat and in his son’s and daughter-in-law’s home in South Weber, Utah.  Marlan was born at home in Lewiston, Utah on April 24, 1931, where his parents Joseph and Zetta Haslam lived on their small, family farm.  Marlan was the third boy and the middle of five children.  He loved his siblings Raymond, ClaVel, and Larry, all of whom preceded him in death, and his sister Carol Lucherini, last surviving sibling.

Marlan married Patricia Leininger Haslam on June 12, 1957, in the Logan Utah Temple.  They are the parents of four children: Jeffrey (Merilyn), Rebecca Larsen (Cory), Heidi Lowe (Val), and Timothy Marlan Haslam (deceased).  Marlan and Pat have twelve grandchildren and twenty-five great grandchildren. 

Marlan chose the words optimism, joy, and gratitude as the attributes upon which he patterned his life.  

Education was important to Marlan and studying came easy to him.  He graduated high school as the Student Body President at North Cache High School; he next graduated from Utah State University with zoology and chemistry degrees, before attending and graduating in 1957 from The University of Utah Medical School.  His internship and first year of residency were in Seattle, Washington at King County Hospital.  His specialty training was interrupted two years while he served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force.  He finished specialty training as an orthopaedic surgeon at the Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital.  His medical practice was in Ogden, Utah where he pioneered joint replacement in northern Utah.

Marlan’s accomplishments include civic, medical and Church assignments.  He served on the Governing Board of the McKay-Dee Hospital for over twenty-eight years.  He was Chief of Staff at the time the move from the old Dee Hospital was made to the first McKay-Dee Hospital, overseeing patient transport.  Marlan also served as Chief of Surgery.  He practiced at two hospitals and helped design and plan for the new McKay-Dee Hospital currently in operation.

Marlan was president of the Wild Cat Club at Weber State when the new Dee Events Center was being built.  His assignment was to pre-sell the future seats in the Center.  Practically all the main-level seats were sold long before building completion.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Marlan served as a teacher, as bishops’ counselor, as branch president, and in high councils.  He and Pat served as missionaries at the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City.  Marlan’s assignment in the Church’s main Missionary Office was to assist as a Medical Advisor for all incoming and currently serving missionaries across the world.  He enjoyed his medical clinic each week for all missionaries serving in the Salt Lake Mission.  His most recent church service was as an ordinance worker in the Logan Temple.

Funeral Services were held Saturday, October 26th at 1:00 p.m. in the Laketown Ward Chapel in Laketown, Utah.  Burial in the Laketown Cemetery.