Melvin "Ray" Bingham

Our loving father, grandfather, husband and brother, M. Ray Bingham (75 years old) passed away peacefully at his home in Wellsville on Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 after a 3-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
Ray was born Dec. 12, 1933 in Ogden, Utah to Lauretta Davis Bingham and Melvin Norman Bingham. His family moved to Bountiful where he attended elementary and junior high school. He was active in Boy Scouts of America and loved to hike and camp. During his high school years at Granite High, he took part in several school plays and operas. He had a beautiful voice and loved to sing. He played 1st clarinet in the school band and enjoyed marching in the Days of ‘47 Parade. He graduated from Granite High School in 1952. He then attended University of Utah and sang in the Men’s Choir.
Ray served a mission for the LDS Church from Aug 1954 to Aug 1956. He taught the Navajo and Hopi people in the Four Corners area, which was the Southwest Indian Mission. It was during his mission that he met his bride to be, Anna Brown Poppleton, a fellow missionary. After she completed her mission, Ray married her on June 27th, 1957 in the Logan Temple.
Ray served for 2 years (1957 to 1959) in the U.S. Army at Fort Ord, Monterey, California. After discharge, he completed his Bachelor’s degree in 1965 in Mathematics at Utah State University in Logan. He specialized in a new promising field at that time, computer science. Later in life, he received his Master’s Degree in Management Science while working full time to support his family.
Ray has worked for Thiokol as a computer programmer, then Hughes Aircraft Company in Fullerton, California as a computer engineer. While there, he was assigned to work on several government air defense systems in Europe, requiring that he live in Zurich, Switzerland for 2 years and then Milan, Italy for 2 additional years. Ray also worked for Computer Sciences Corporation in New Jersey, as well as General Electric in Fullerton, California. While at G.E., he was assigned to work in Song Tan, Korea. His talent as a systems analyst was highly valued.
Ray retired in 2001 and moved from California to Wellsville. He spent several years caring for his ill wife until she passed away in 2006. About a year later, he began courting and then married Ruth Leishman Brenchley on June 28, 2008 in Wellsville.
Ray served in many different church positions, but his musical talent as choir director was his real calling in life. In every ward he served, Ray helped the singing abilities of choir members to blossom.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth Brenchley Bingham (Wellsville, UT), a daughter, Shelly Bingham (Orem, UT), and three sons, David Bingham (San Francisco, CA), William (Roberta) Bingham (Patterson, CA), Rick (Michelle) Bingham (Yuba City, CA), and nine grandchildren. His wife, Anna Poppleton Bingham, and a son Douglas Bingham preceded him in death.
Funeral services will be held Monday, July 20, 2009 at 12:00 pm at the LDS Chapel at 670 South 100 West, Wellsville, Utah. Friends and family may call Sunday, July 19, 2009 from 6 pm to 8 pm at Allen-Hall Mortuary at 34 East Center Street, Logan, Utah, and on Monday, July 20, 2009 from 10:30 am to 11:30 am at the above-noted LDS Chapel. Interment will be at the Wellsville Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.allenmortuaries.net .