Sunday, January 20, 2013

 Gayle (Chato) Bluth passed away January 19, 2013 
in New Mexico with his son, Clarence Gayle, and wife, Ora caring for him.  His family has planned 2 funerals, to allow the great numbers of family and friends who would not otherwise be able to travel to Mexico due to requirements of having passports.

A funeral will be held in Gilbert AZ, on Friday the 25th of January. The viewing will be at 9:00am and the funeral at 10:00am. Funeral services will be held at 1005 N. Voyager Dr, Gilbert AZ 85234 (the Val Vista Stake Center).

A 2nd funeral service will be held in his hometown, at the Dublan LDS Ward in Colonia Dublan, Chihuahua, Mexico on the following day, Saturday, January 27, 2013.   The viewing is at 11 am and funeral services at 12:00 pm.  His interrment will be in the Dublan Cemetary.
Chato (nickname given for his pug nose) was born to Lucy and Oscar Bluth on April 19, 1925 in Colonia Dublan, Chihuahua, Mexico.  He was the 8th of 9 children.  He was baptized by his father at 8 years of age in the Fredrickson Hole in the river.  After graduation from high school at the Academia Juarez (JSA) in 1943 he was drafted into the US Navy on January 4, 1944, where he served for 2 1/2 years.
Chato was a very gifted athlete, and enjoyed success playing basketball in highschool, on the Naval team prior to being on the sea, and was chosen as the LDS Church's most valuable played in the all-church tournament in Salt Lake City.  In Mexico he played on the Central American games team, the Pan American games team and the in the Olympics.
Chato learned to be a hard worker from his father and mother, as there were always many chores to do, such as, chopping wood, milking cows, feeding the animals - and he grew up loving horses and ranching.  Chato's favorite horse was "Joe".
Chato is the father of 3 sons and 2 daughters:  Clarence Gayle (Tito), Yvonne, Alexander (Bobe), Andre Emanuel and Lucy LaVetta.  Many of his children and grandchildren look like him and are gifted athletes like him.  His sons are farmers and ranchers and took over to allow him to retire and to serve missions.
Chato and Ora were called to serve a Family History mission in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 1986-1988, and then he was called to serve as a mission President in Bahia Blanca, Argentina from 1989-1992.  Ora and Chato served another Family history mission in Monterrey Mexico from 2001-2002 and then were set apart as temple ordinance workers in the new Colonia Juarez Mexico Temple, where Chato officiated in the very first session when the temple opened.
   Chato is a wonderful grandpa and greatgrandfather, with a large posterity.  After his children had all moved to the US due to dangerous conditions in Mexico, he and Ora spent a considerable amount of time in New Mexico with Tito and Margie and their family, allowing him to attend weddings and other events of their grandchildren.  The family yearly had a reunion in the mountains of New Mexico, or spent time at their home in Colonia Dublan.  He has always loved the little grandbabies, and was often the one up late at nights with sick children, caring for them.
Uncle Chato, as we bid you farewell from your mortal life, we will miss you, and we appreciate the great man that you were and are.  We are grateful to know that you are being greeted by your father, mother, brothers and sisters - and that there is a grand reunion there!  Thank you for loving us, teasing us, and challenging us to be better.