Ross Whatcott

On 8 September 2026, Ross Elwyn Whatcott passed away peacefully at BeeHive Homes in Provo, Utah, at the age of 98. His beloved wife, Bonnie, preceded him in death by just seven months. Ross was also preceded in death by his parents, Clemouth LaVell and Vesta Whatcott; his brothers and sisters and their spouses; his son, Stephen Whatcott; his daughter-in-law, Sebrina Whatcott (Kerry’s wife); his granddaughter, Jamie Whatcott (Stephen’s daughter); and his grandson, Nathan Whatcott (Lee’s son).

Ross is survived by his children, Craig Whatcott and his wife, Heidi; Laura Ridge and her husband, Perry; Patti Smith Whatcott, Stephen’s wife; LaRae Dean and her husband, Kendall; Lee Whatcott and his wife, Bonnie; Lin Whatcott and his wife, Suzie; and Kerry Whatcott. He also leaves behind 36 grandchildren and 82 great-grandchildren—a remarkable legacy and a testament to the life he and Bonnie built together.

Ross was born on Saturday, 26 May 1928, in Logan, Utah, the fourth of seven children born to Vesta and Clemouth Whatcott. His first home was at 362 North 3rd East, an address he could still recite at age 98. The family later moved to a two-story white house on the southwest corner of 1st West and 5th South, where Ross spent most of his childhood. His bedroom was on the west end of the house. He described putting newspapers between his sheets and blankets to stay warm during the cold winters in Logan.

Ross learned to work at an early age. His first job was picking beans for, if I remember correctly, a penny a pound. In a coincidence that only became meaningful years later, the farmer he worked for was the uncle of his future wife, Bonnie Niederhauser. Ross spent some of his hard-earned “bean money” on a box of cold cereal and bananas, luxuries his family could not ordinarily afford. As he grew older, he also worked in a flour mill and at a soft-drink bottling company in Logan owned by the father of Reed Mickleson, one of his closest childhood friends.

Ross attended Whittier Elementary School and Logan High School. His father taught mathematics at Logan High, and Ross eventually found himself in his class. Concerned that his colleagues might think he was favoring his own son, Clemouth initially gave Ross only mediocre grades. Another teacher finally encouraged him to give Ross the grades he had actually earned, and Ross’s marks improved considerably. Math was, in fact, one of Ross’s strongest subjects. His older brother Cyril even taught him how to derive the quadratic equation.

After graduating from high school, Ross enrolled at Utah State Agricultural College, now Utah State University, where he majored in civil engineering. He completed three years before leaving to serve a mission in the Eastern States Mission. After returning, he resumed his studies for his senior year.

That year proved to be an important one in more ways than one. Lockheed recruiters came to campus looking for engineering students and offered employment to those who successfully completed several prescribed courses. Ross accepted the challenge. After graduating in 1952, he moved to California and began what would become a long and distinguished career in aeronautical engineering.

His senior year also brought something far more important into his life: Bonnie Niederhauser.

Their first introduction happened when Bonnie saw Ross on campus and waved to him. She knew his brothers and sisters and immediately recognized him as a Whatcott. Ross, however, had no idea who she was. A few days later, he saw her again at “M.I.A.” (or whatever they called it back then). Bonnie was serving as the secretary, and Ross spent much of the evening following her around as she carried out her Church responsibilities. At the end of the evening, she offered him a ride home, even though he lived only two blocks from the chapel (uh-huh).

Once home, Ross wasted little time. He called Bonnie and asked her on a date. That was the beginning of the end of Ross’s life as a single man.

Their relationship eventually progressed to marriage. While riding in the back seat of Bonnie’s parents’ car after a Stake Conference, Ross asked, “If I had a ring, would you take it?” Bonnie responded, “Shhhhhh.” What she did not know was that Ross had already spoken with her father, Hyrum, and asked for permission to marry her. Later that evening, Ross and Bonnie attended a Church dance together as a newly engaged couple. They were married in the Logan Temple on 11 June 1952.

Soon after their marriage, Ross and Bonnie moved to California, eventually settling in Burbank, where Ross began his career at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. He spent his career designing aircraft, specializing in wing structures. Near the end of his career, he oversaw the wing design for the L-1011 jumbo jet. His coolest assignment, however, occurred during the 1960s, when he worked at Lockheed’s famed Skunk Works. There, he was the sole structural designer of the wing of the highly classified SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft. The Blackbird would become one of the most extraordinary airplanes ever built, capable of exceeding Mach 3, and to this day, it remains the fastest plane ever built. For Ross, however, it was one remarkable project in a career that spanned decades. He remained with Lockheed throughout his career, retiring at about age 62.

Ross and Bonnie raised seven children: Craig, Laura, Stephen, LaRae, Lee, Lin, and Kerry. They also welcomed John Mason into their family through the Church’s Indian Placement Program.

A lifelong, devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, faith was central to Ross’s life, and to the home he and Bonnie created. Dad conferred the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods on each of his sons and ordained them to most of their priesthood offices. More importantly, he taught by example. He expected his children to take their Church responsibilities seriously, attend their meetings, and follow through with their commitments.

Of Ross’s many Church responsibilities, formal or otherwise, missionary work was the most meaningful to him. As a young man, he served in the Eastern States Mission. However, even after Ross’s full-time missionary service ended, he never stopped sharing the Gospel or inviting others to Church, and he frequently spent time serving alongside the full-time missionaries assigned to his area. His children and grandchildren understood that if they brought a friend to the house, Ross would eventually invite them to Church. Once their children were grown, Ross and Bonnie returned to full-time missionary service together. Their first mission took them to Cairo, Egypt. They later served in the Riverside, California, mission, with responsibilities that included the Mojave Desert area. Missionary service was something Ross loved throughout his life, and sharing that service with Bonnie made their missions together especially meaningful. Other Church responsibilities included serving as a counselor to President Helvee in the Stake Missionary Presidency, as a counselor in a bishopric, as a Scoutmaster, as a temple ordinance worker in Los Angeles Temple, and eventually as bishop of the Singles Ward in the North Hollywood Stake.

Ross and Bonnie spent most of their married life in Burbank, California. After Ross retired, they moved back to Utah, settling first in Bountiful. In Bountiful, they loved living near many of their grandchildren who were attending BYU, and loved hosting visitors, most often their own children, at "Hotel Bountiful." They also found great joy serving together as ordinance workers in the Bountiful, Utah, Temple. They later moved to Riverton to be closer to family and, as they seemed to do wherever they lived, quickly made new friends. Moves to Draper and eventually Provo followed.

Age slowed Ross down, but it did not diminish his competitive streak. Even during the last few months of his life, he could still beat his sons at checkers and chess—and they weren’t going easy on him.

Ross lived an extraordinarily long and full life. He was an engineer, missionary, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and a man whose faith and family remained central to him throughout nearly a century of life. The accomplishments were remarkable, but the family he and Bonnie created is his greatest legacy.

We love you, Dad, and will surely miss you.