Karl J Felix

Karl J Felix, 85, was born January 28, 1937 in Springville Utah.  He is the 2nd son of Ivan Felix and Gladys Thompson.  His siblings are James Ivan Felix, Gordon K Felix, and Beth Felix George.  He joined his sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2022.  He was a true romantic to the very end.

Dad was a third generation Railroad man.  Dad remembers spending a lot of time in California while his father served in the National Guard during the early years of World War II, prior to Pearl Harbor.  Dad’s mother experienced health issues and passed away on his 16th birthday after having complications from surgery.

Dad spent a lot of his young life in Hobble Creek Canyon because he loved hunting and fishing.  He was the high school photographer and worked on the Yearbook Committee.  Dad had a great love for music that he gained from his mother in his childhood, which he always referred to as his “long hair music”.  His favorite ones were “Going Home” by The New World Symphony by Antonin Dvorak and the Nutcracker Ballet (especially the Sugar Plum Fairy song) by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.  He grew up listening to them on the record player and enjoyed Alexa playing them for him in his later years. 

Karl met the love of his life of 62 years in Springville, Utah, the day after Christmas in 1954.  They dated 18 months and were married on the 21st of June 1956 in the Manti Temple, it was also the longest day of the year.  They lived in Salt Lake City and Kearns, Utah where they welcomed their three beautiful children Lauri, Dan and Sandy.  The family moved to Highland, Utah in 1972, where he resided until 2021, nearly 50 years.  Dad enjoyed his stay at the Legacy House in Spanish Fork until his mortal journey on earth was finished. 

Dad and Mom married young and they joked about spending the rest of their lives, raising each other.  They enjoyed hunting, camping, fishing, boating, bowling, square dancing, wheeler riding, and genealogy.  They were the Presidents of the Sweetheart Chains Square Dance Club where they travelled with many friends and family. 

Karl and Merlene had the incredible privilege of serving a three-year mission with the Provo Utah Motion Picture Studio, where they had the opportunity of assisting with the production of the new Bible Videos.  Dad delivered supplies to the Provo studio and to the South studio in Goshen, Utah (the Jerusalem movie set) and enjoyed watching the set be built day by day.  They served faithfully from 2010 to 2013.  Dad and Mom loved serving in the Mount Timpanogos Temple and spent many hours there.  Dad was blessed with a very spiritual lineage that taught personal, faith-promoting experiences that he and his family could draw from, which led him to his loving wife and life-long happiness.  His Grandpa Jacob Felix always told him to “stay in tune”. 

Dad joined the Army National Guard in 1954 and served for five years.  He had an apprenticeship with the Union Pacific Railroad, as a machinist and locomotive mechanic for most of his life.  Then worked for the Army as a civilian for several more years.  He hired on with Geneva Steel and moved to Highland, UT in 1972 and ended with Wilson Railway.  Dad was an excellent truck driver and did that for many companies such as Hansen/ Harrison Transportation.  He also drove for many movie companies and he even delivered the concert stage for the music group ZZ Top.  He made many trips around the Western United States driving an average of 185,000 miles per year.  He finished his career, at the age of 82, as a shuttle driver for Larry H Miller Ford and Dodge in Provo, Utah.  Dad loved to talk to people.

He loved adventure and we hardly ever had an excursion without taking the notorious “Felix Shortcut”.  Dad enjoyed the beautiful world we live in and always looked forward to seeing more of it every chance he got.  Later in life, he loved taking walks with his little dog Topaz and his family to the Nielsen’s Grove Park in Orem, Utah and showing them the baby ducks swimming in the pond.  Even though he spent a lot of time in hospitals, he was never a victim of COVID-19, he was a survivor.  We even wondered if an ancestor had willed him their “Cat Nine Lives” because he surpassed his own nine many years ago.  We called him the Energizer Bunny because he took a lickin’ and kept on tickin’.  He always told funny jokes and stories and yes, some practical jokes were played on him throughout his life.

Karl is survived by his children Lauri (Randy) Massey, Dan (Lorie) Felix, Sandra (Ronald) Burrell; his brother Gordon (Denise) Felix; brother-in-law Tommy George, sister-in-law Monta Felix, sister-in-law Bonnie Duncan Bishop, sister/brother-in-law Karen (Gary) Gittins; step siblings Jerald (Tammy) Alvey, Tom (April) Alvey, Ron (Karen) Alvey, Wally (Sharon) Alvey; his 21 grandchildren Matt (Mysti) Summers, Rhett (Emily) Summers, Ashley Felix, Jason (Brooke) Felix, Natalie Felix French, Brian (Natalie) Burrell, Todd (Sierra) Burrell, Taylor (HaeLee) Burrell, Shane (Kris) Massey, Rachel Bowler, Amber (Josh) Halversen, Gina (Travis) Stevens; and 17 great-grandchildren.  Karl is preceded in death by his parents Ivan (Gladys Thompson), (Juanita Barney Alvey) Felix; wife Eva Merlene DeGraw Felix; his brother James Felix, sister Beth Felix George; sister-in-law JoAnn Mellor Felix, brother-in-law Tim DeGraw, brother-in-law Bob Duncan, brother-in-law Jack Bishop; and his great-grandson Henry Karl Summers.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at the LDS Church, at 2557 Dalton Dr., Springville, Utah 84663.  A Viewing for family and friends will be held that day from 12:30 – 1:30pm, at the church prior to services.  Interment will be held at the Evergreen Cemetery, 1997 South 400 East, Springville, Utah 84663.  Due to potential road closures nearby, please use main highways. 

The family wish to acknowledge with great appreciation the many expressions of love, concern, and kindness shown to them the last few months and during this time of bereavement.  We deeply appreciate the “Hero Caregivers” of Legacy House, Dignity Hospice Care, Parkway Rehab, Stonehenge Rehab, doctors, nurses, and hospitals that gave our father the best of care, along with family and friends. 

In Lieu of flowers, please donate to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Humanitarian Aid Fund and Projects, via website https://philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org.

The following Zoom Link is available for those who wish to view the service remotely: https://zoom.us/j/92119811259