Noticias Artículo: President Loren A Stoddard passed 10May2008
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Here is his obit
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26794445/loren-stoddard
President and Sister Stoddard were not only wise and capable leaders — they were also genuinely warm, gracious, and caring.
After my mission, when my wife and I were moving from California to Pennsylvania with our five-year-old daughter Marcie, we made a special detour to Salt Lake City just to visit them. They graciously invited our little family to dinner in their beautiful 2,700-square-foot condo on the top floor of a high-rise. The breathtaking views overlooked both the Utah State Capitol and the iconic Temple Square. With its three bedrooms and two bathrooms, it was an elegant and spacious home, filled with artifacts from all over the world. But what made it truly memorable was the warmth and hospitality we felt there.
President Stoddard passed away in 2008, but Sister Jo Stoddard continues to shine as a powerful example of faith and resilience. Now 103 years old, she remains radiating the same steady, Christlike spirit that blessed so many missionaries and families over the decades.
Sister Jo had a simple, quiet faith that carried her through trials few can imagine. In her patriarchal blessing, the final promise was that she would be married to a good man and have a family. For more than a year, that promise must have seemed impossible or delayed. She was engaged, but the love of her life, Loren, was gone — not just absent, but missing in action for about 16 months, held as a prisoner of war by the Japanese during World War II.
Loren was a B-24 pilot shot down on a mission near Saipan in 1944. He and three crew members survived the crash into the Pacific, endured days at sea in a life raft, and were captured. They spent about 15–16 brutal months in a POW camp near Tokyo (the same one where Louis Zamperini was held, as depicted in the movie *Unbroken*). The conditions were horrific: starvation, forced labor, beatings, and uncertainty, with families often not knowing if their loved ones were even alive. Many did not survive. Yet Jo held on with unwavering faith, often affirming, “He is a very good man,” and clinging to the promise in her patriarchal blessing.
Stories like theirs remind us how brutal that experience was — and how remarkable their endurance. What makes it even more powerful is seeing her share these memories with such clarity and tenderness across the decades.
These short videos offer a beautiful glimpse into the goodness and dedication that defined their lives:
At age 86, after President Stoddard’s passing, Sister Stoddard recalled the day they were asked to serve in Pittsburgh:
https://vimeo.com/6844339
At age 87, she tenderly recounted the uncertain and frightening days when her fiancé (and later husband), Brother Stoddard, was held as a prisoner of war, describing how her faith sustained her through the long wait:
https://vimeo.com/7042895
Then, at the age of 101, she recorded an in-depth Memorial Day news segment reflecting even more on her husband’s service, faith, the cost of freedom, and the power of her patriarchal blessing (click the arrow/play button on the page to start the video):
https://www.fox13now.com/.../utah-centenarian-reflects-on...
And now, at 103, she continues to live with that same steady, vibrant faith.
Their story is one of faith that didn’t always make sense in the moment, but endured anyway. They went on to have five sons, serve faithfully together (including their mission in Pittsburgh and another later in England), and build not only sacred buildings but, more importantly, people and testimonies.
President and Sister Stoddard truly built people as much as they built buildings — and I am forever grateful to have been one of those “projects.”
Thank you, Sister Jo, for your quiet strength, your example, and the love you and President Stoddard poured into so many of us. Your influence continues to bless lives.
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