- The eight sons of Alan Osmond gathered to remember their father on Friday.
- His sons remembered his faith, his love for their mother and his positive outlook.
- Alan Osmond's funeral is Saturday at the Orem Suncrest Stake center; he will be buried with military honors.
SALT LAKE CITY — Grateful sons are raising their voices in tribute to their beloved father, Alan Osmond, who died at his home in Lehi on April 20. He was 76 years old.
I visited with Alex, Jon, Scott, David, Doug, Nathan, Mike and Tyler as they reminisced on the lessons they learned from their father.
One of the songs they said they'll perform at his funeral service is "I May Never Pass This Way Again."
"He was a mountain of a man," said David Osmond, "who had a firm foundation of faith and that drove him in everything that he did."
Scott Osmond remembered how his father spoke of his faith to everyone. Constantly.
"I have a son serving a mission right now, and in his emails (Dad) would always reply-all, and I kept telling my father, 'Hey, you're replying to 250 people on this email thread.' And he would always be, 'Oh, OK,' and he kept doing it!"
The love Alan Osmond had and showed for his wife is what Doug Osmond remembered.
"The other thing I do want to point out is my dad's love for my mom. He always gave her all the credit," David Osmond said. "And so he taught us what it meant to love your wife."
Nathan Osmond remembered a time when he asked his dad to reminisce.
"He said, 'Son, if I could talk to my younger self, I would tell myself this: It's not who you are but who you become that ultimately matters."
In Alan Osmond's study, the walls are filled with remarkable moments: gold and platinum records, photographs with royalty, presidents and prophets.
With all of the accolades, Alan Osmond battled multiple sclerosis for nearly 40 years.
Alex Osmond remembered the difficult days his dad faced.
"When he thought he was alone and had every reason to complain and just be angry, I can't think of an instance when I saw him not choose to be happy," Alex Osmond said.
Scott Osmond echoed the sentiment that their father, Alan, continued to look on life's bright side.
"Recently, he did have a pretty bad day. And at the end of the day, we tucked him in and (said), 'Are you comfortable? Are you OK?' And he just sat there and said, 'This was a wonderful day!'"
Nathan Osmond recalled all of the ways that various people referred to his father.
"He's got so many titles," Nathan Osmond said. "'Osmondo Bizarro,' 'Mr. Stadium of Fire,' the Daily Herald called him a 'force of nature.' We call him 'father.'"
The funeral service for Alan Osmond is Saturday, May 2, at 12 p.m. at the Orem Suncrest Stake Center.
Alan Osmond served in the National Guard and will be buried with military honors at the Spanish Fork Cemetery.
And then, his sons said, there will be a little something to light up the sky.
