Gaylord Allen McCallson passed away on Jan. 2, 2019, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Gaylord was born in Denver, CO, on Nov. 18, 1930, to Clarence Alvin McCallson and Phyllis Pastore McCallson Preece. Gaylord grew up in Sacramento, CA, before serving an LDS mission to Brazil. He then attended Utah State University, where he met Anne McDonald on the steps of Old Main. He declared to a friend at that moment that he was going to marry that girl. After only three weeks, the two were engaged. They married on June 17, 1954, in the Logan Temple and were later blessed with three children: Julie, Ted, and Nancy.
Gaylord was extremely proud of being an officer in the Air Force. Highlights of his career include serving as aide-de-camp to General Eugene LeBailly in the Azores, Portugal, from 1963-1965, conducting covert operations with SOG in Vietnam for all of 1968, and serving as liaison to the Portuguese government for the Lajes Air Base in the Azores from 1973-1975. He retired in 1978 and moved to Salt Lake City.
An avid outdoorsman and a dead-eye shot, Gaylord had many memorable experiences camping at Gold Hill, four-wheeling the Piute Trail, and hunting throughout the West. He was also tirelessly involved in volunteer civic duties and relished indexing for his church in his later years.
Gaylord was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was especially proud of his service to the Cub Scouts as a Webelo leader from 2013-2017.
Gaylord is survived by his daughters, Julie (David) Dixon and Nancy Crockett. He will also be greatly missed by his grandchildren: Stacy Dixon, Daniel (Amy) Dixon, Benjamin Dixon, Michael (Amy) Dixon, Emma (Sebastian) Sturdevant, and Claire (Edward) McConkie; his great-grandchildren; and his sister, Charlene Holmstrom. He is preceded in death by his parents, his three brothers, his wife, and his son.
The viewing will be held on Jan. 11 from 6-8 pm at the Olympus 1st Ward Relief Society Room, 4100 Camille Street, Holladay, UT, 84124. Services will be held at the same location on Jan. 12 at 11:00 am. Interment will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Salt Lake City.
