Gaylord Allen Dent unexpectedly passed away on Sunday May 14, 2017. Born November 3, 1959 to George and Marlene Dent. He grew up in Rose Park and later moved to Sandy, where he met and married his high school sweetheart Sharon. They would have been married for 35 years on August 26 of this year.
Gaylord leaves behind: his mother Marlene; his wife Sharon; his children Jeff (Emily), Jennifer, Rachel (Shaun), and Michael; his grandchildren Elsa, Raylan, Kelcie, Christopher, Jonathan, Jameson, Evelyn, Tanner, and Bailey; his brother Dan; and his sisters Pam and Lisa. In passing, he is reunited with his father George, and his brother Brad.
He had a great appreciation for music of all types, and took great joy in sharing music with those that he loved, often engaging in rousing games of "name that tune" with his children. Gaylord also enjoyed visiting exotic and cold destinations, and after taking a trip to visit Alaska with Sharon a few years prior many times spoke about how his dream vacation would have been to Antarctica. Most of all Gaylord enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren who were always excited to see and spend time with their grandpa.
Growing up, sports were a large part of Gaylord's life. Gaylord loved and excelled at playing both baseball and football. His passion for baseball is something he shared with his children, having coached numerous teams and supporting his children's sports activities.
Gaylord worked for 21 years as a police officer for the Salt Lake County Sherriff's Department, where he served the community and made many friends. After retirement, he went to Afghanistan for a year to train their police force, and then returned home to work for Sears and JCPenney, where he helped many friends and family with new appliances and advice.
To his friends, Gaylord was always fun to be around, having enough stories to fill a book. He always had some amusing anecdote to help pass the time and entertain others.
Gaylord was the type who could figure out how to fix nearly anything, and shared that ability with many people, having installed, wired, and built many different things for countless others. He was always genuinely happy to help others and make their lives easier with his talents.
Gaylord was an unforgettable man who touched the lives of many with his charm and humor. His children will always remember him as a man who wanted to see them succeed and would help them with anything they needed. He will be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved him.
Funeral services will be held at 2 PM Friday, May 19, at the Larkin Sunset Gardens chapel, at 1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South) in Sandy. A visitation will be held from 12 to 2 PM Friday, May 19, at the same location, preceding the funeral services.
