Farrel Wayne Lytle

Farrel Wayne Lytle passed away March 25, 2026 at the Grover C. Dils Medical Center in Caliente, Nevada at the age of 91. He was born November 10, 1934 in Cedar City, Utah to Freeland Wayne and Justine Jones Lytle. Farrel grew up in Rose Valley, Nevada and graduated from Lincoln County High School in 1952. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1958 with an MS in Chemistry.

Farrel married his high school sweetheart, Manetta Bleak in the St George Utah Temple on September 8, 1954. To this union were born four sons: Nelson Wayne, William Reed, Charles Melling, and Drew Bleak.

After his service in the army at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Farrel and his family moved to Seattle Washington where he pursued a career in physics and chemistry at The Boeing Company.

During this career, he discovered and created the theory behind a unique branch of physics: Extended X-ray Absorbance Fine Structure Spectroscopy. He performed the first experiments demonstrating the utility of this approach in elucidating the structure of chemical compounds. As the leader in this field, he published over 200 peer reviewed scientific papers demonstrating applications in catalysis, biology, and chemistry. He created his own company, EXAFS, Inc., providing research tools to scientists conducting experiments in X-ray science and remained active as a scientist over his career of 60 years. Today, the science that Farrel inspired is conducted in over 50 advanced research facilities located in Europe, North America, East Asia, South America, and the Middle East. Farrel was honored by Stanford University for his achievements by creating an award in his name, the Farrel Lytle Award, given to recognize important technical or scientific accomplishments in synchrotron-based science. To date 28 scientists and students have won this award for their excellence in research.

Upon his retirement from Boeing, Farrel felt the pull of the Nevada hills and the smell of sagebrush. He and Manetta moved “back home” to build a house in Eagle Valley. There he and Manetta could be close to their families and enjoy their association. And since he was close to so many wonderful ancient and historic settlements and civilizations, he pursued his hobby - archaeology.

Farrel was a member of the Society for American Archaeology, The Nevada Rock Art Association, and the Utah Rock Art Association. He developed a method to determine the age of petroglyphs, publishing it in several journals. He supported and advised many archaeologists and students building many lasting relationships and bringing Nevada pre-history to light.

Farrel was always a builder. He loved nature and sharing it with family and friends. He built summer homes at Cooper Lake in Washington state and Stockham Island near Tofino, British Columbia, Canada. He loved outdoor sports: salmon fishing, deer hunting, hiking, boating … anything to be outdoors. He loved to be out in the hills looking for a new Anasazi site or reading petroglyphs. His sons will attest to lunches of kippered snacks, crackers, and cheese as we walked through the juniper trees.

Farrel was a gardener. His garden in Eagle Valley was legendary. In later years he invited family and friends to plant their gardens in space he prepared so all could grow their own vegetables.

Farrel was a sincere follower of Jesus Christ and followed his admonition to be of service to his fellow men. He served in many capacities within the church. He loved missionary work and sharing the gospel. Many LDS missionaries are grateful for the financial support that he provided to help their families defray the cost of their missionary service. He was always searching for ways to help others and enable all to serve the Lord.

Farrel was a wonderful father and a leader by example to his sons. His support and encouragement were always there, support in academics, athletics, and church activities. He was often mistaken for a football coach as he paced along the sidelines shouting encouragement. The long walks in the hills, building summer homes, or salmon fishing in Tofino were all activities to bond with his family. He loved his grand and great-grand-children. He grew a lawn at his home in Eagle Valley just because he enjoyed watching the grand kids play. Family reunions were always a celebration of love.

Farrel is survived by his sons: Nelson Wayne (Jacquelyn) of Bolingbrook, IL, William Reed (Carol) of Vancouver, WA, Charles Melling of Lodi, CA, and Drew Bleak (Paula) of Grantsville, UT; 16 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, sister Julene Porter (Devon) of Panaca, NV and brother Larry K Lytle (Sandy) of Rose Valley, NV.

Farrel was preceded in death by his wife Manetta, parents Freeland Wayne and Justine Lytle, his brothers Eldon G Lytle (Rula), and Noel J Lytle (Anita).

Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 11:00 am at the Pioche Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A viewing will be held at 9:30 am. Interment will be in the Lytle Family Cemetery in Eagle Valley, Nevada under the direction of Southern Nevada Mortuary. Online condolences can be sent to www.southernnevadamortuary.com. To watch the live streaming of the funeral service, go to https://my.gather.app/remember/farrel-lytle