Bud Belnap

Francis Alvin "Bud" Belnap
Our husband, father, grandfather, brother and hero, Francis Alvin "Bud" Belnap left earth's grasp on October 16, 2019. He has been and always will be deeply loved, admired and cherished by his family, friends, students and cardiac patients whose lives he has blessed. We look forward to the day we fall on his neck and kiss him once again.
Bud was born of goodly parents, George Ellis Belnap and Mabel Hill Hall on December 11, 1938. He lived in Hooper, Utah, near the family farm he loved, for the entirety of his upbringing. The youngest of 12, he learned by example to love God above all else, the importance of the family bond and to love others as himself. His parents also instilled in him the value and virtue of hard work, service, and to strive for excellence in all that he did.
In high school and college, Bud excelled academically and in sports. Chosen outstanding senior athlete at Weber High School, he lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track. An athletic scholarship took him to Brigham Young University where he became the lead quarterback and was honored as an Academic All-American. For decades, he was the state handball champion for his age bracket.
After receiving an MS in Health Education from BYU in 1962, he embarked on a 38-year career at Weber State University where he taught classes in health, physical education, and exercise physiology. He coached wrestling for three years and served as the offensive football coach for 11 years. Earning a PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of New Mexico in 1983, he went on to develop individual athletic/wellness testing and training programs at WSU for students, athletes and the public. He pursued research and grants for preventive medicine/rehabilitation and coauthored numerous articles. In 1980, he co-founded the Cardiac Fitness Institute at McKay-Dee Hospital and was closely associated with it for 22 years.
Bud loved people and blessed thousands of lives, including injured athletes, disadvantaged minorities, police cadets, neighbors and friends seeking to get in shape. Students knew that he cared about them and years later would talk of his special gift for opening the wonders of the human body to their understanding. He also loved animals and nature; the Lord and Joseph Smith; singing, farming, hiking and skiing. An affectionate father, his children and grandchildren treasure time spent playing games, swimming, boating, fishing, and traveling. He loved to laugh and especially enjoyed rhyming in his advancing years. His motto: mobility, agility, without hostility.
During his time at BYU, Bud met and married Jeannette Parker in the Salt Lake City Temple. They had five children together. They were later divorced. In 1972, he married Margaret Ann Thompson in the Ogden Temple. They were blessed with four children.
Bud is survived by his wife, Ann, and his children, Robert Kirk Belnap (Linnea), Lori Belnap Pehrson (David), Kristin Jean Ballou (Richard), JoAnn Niederhauser (Troy), Gary Ross Belnap (Lea), Brooke Belnap and Eric Belnap; two brothers, LaGrande (Beverly) and Darwin, and one sister, Audrey. His posterity includes 20 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his children, Lisa and Kerry, parents, four brothers (Lowell, Gary, Veloy, Linden), and four sisters (Elma, Thora, Vola, Iola).
Funeral services will be held Monday, October 21, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 1954 East Antelope Drive, Layton. Viewings will be held at the same location on Sunday, October 20th, 6 to 8 p.m. and Monday, October 21st, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. prior to the funeral services. Interment will be at Hooper City Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Myers Mortuary.