My Brother

MY BROTHER

My brother was a little boy. When I was born, he shared his world with me. He played with me, and protected me, a very good big brother.

My brother was a soccer player.In high school that was his sport. As goalie he was part of the team, protector, he was just beginning.

My brother was a brave Marine. He faced fears I can never know. He served his country proudly. They were sorry to see him go.

My brother was a Chico cop. He was willing to face danger. The town he served named him Police Officer of the year. They honored him as a beloved brother.

My brother was a good man. He has a daughter and a son. He left a wife he loved very much. They will meet again some day. My brother lived a good life. He excelled at all he did. He made his peace, and gave us peace.

He is home now, having served his Father well. Our hearts ache, our sorrow is deep. But comfort comes from knowing that our loss is His gain. My brother is home serving the Lord.

Molly Thomas

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Some thoughts from Lori...

I am very grateful for a website where we can reminisce and share memories of Lance. He was always such a strong, caring, and courageous person. He always thought of others more than himself. I think back to what he went through and am always amazed at how well he took everything. I know that I asked "Why?" far more than he ever did. When I would ask him how he was doing, he would turn the question around and want to know how I was doing instead. I often wonder what he thought, knowing he would be leaving his children.... that they would grow up without him here. That part makes me the saddest. That they will never know what he was like. That they won't have him here to share all those "firsts".

On a lighter note... (I think I was supposed to share some funny stories)... Lance and I took the kids to Reno one year. He had already started chemotherapy and was quite weak. Well, being the sport that he was... we took the kids bowling. When it was his turn, he picked up the ball and headed down the lane. Instead of releasing the ball, however, he threw both the ball and himself headlong down the lane. The kids and I laugh about that one often. He was quite a sight sprawled down the center of the lane. It sure was one of those memories that you never forget. We all had a great time laughing about it (including Lance).

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The young Marine.

Private First Class Utterback, USMC 1989

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Photos of Lance with his family.

Here are some photos of Lance with his family. I don't have the captions yet, so the photos will stand for themselves right now.

Feather Falls July 2003

Skunk Train, Fort Bragg, Summer 2005

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Memories of Lance...

In 1997, I was considering a career in law enforcement. My first Police ride-along was with Lance Utterback. I knew Lance from family relations and from church and he agreed to take me along. I recall being excited and somewhat overwhelmed by the calls for service. It's always interesting seeing a friend for the first time in their professional setting. It was a busy night and it seemed that there was little time to talk, as the calls kept right on coming. Lance handled them all calmly and expertly. He was a good man and I'm grateful for my association with him.

This site is dedicated to Lance Utterback. I hope his friends will take the opportunity to share their thoughts, fond memories, and stories. A man's character can be judged by the dedication of his friends. I know from watching the eyes of Lance's friends when they tell their stories that he was deeply loved.

This life is but a little while. When our eyes close to this world, we will find ourselves home and we'll remember that we have always been brothers.

James Dimmitt

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