George Earl Collard Jr., 85, of Salt Lake City, passed away peacefully in his home on September 11 after a brief bout with cancer.
He was born on April 1, 1929 to parents George Earl Collard Sr. and Annie Rozella Jensen Collard in Provo, Utah. After graduating from Brigham Young High School in 1947, his life took him in many different directions. During the next two decades he spent 18 months in the army, served an LDS mission in Australia, graduated from BYU, attended a year of law school at the University of Utah, herded sheep, starred in many local operas, and taught elementary students, among other endeavors. In 1964 he met Victoria Shewell, and they settled down and were married on June 25, 1970.
Over the years, George has been a postmaster, a farmer, a singer, a sheepherder, a soldier, a schoolteacher, a landlord, but above all, he was a loving dad to his nine children.
An active member of the LDS church, he enjoyed singing, painting, spending time with his family, raising and riding horses, and spending time in the outdoors, especially at his cabin on his family's mountain property up Fairview Canyon.
George is survived by his siblings Carol Dixon, Kenneth Collard and Cathryn Veltre; his children Carol Ann (Mike) Jessop, George Earl (Miranda) Collard III, Elizabeth (Chad) Bravender, Karen Sevilla, Jeanette (Troy) Gatehouse, Patricia Collard, Michael Ellis (Nikki) Collard, Robert Dixon (Laura) Collard and Rebecca Collard; his 24 grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He was proceeded in death by his parents and siblings Ellis Martinus Collard, Claren Robert Collard, Rea Zell Collard and Helen Boshard.
Funeral services will be held at noon on Friday, September 19 at the LDS chapel at 413 N. West Capitol Street in Salt Lake City. Friends may visit with the family at the church from 10:45 ‚ 11:45 a.m. prior to the service.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at larkinmortuary.com.
