Alan Gregory Leal passed away unexpectedly on January 2, 2020, in American Fork, UT due to a ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm. Alan was born on Aug 31, 1963, in Stillwater, OK to Leonard Lee Leal and Cloma Catherine Couch Leal.
Alan spent most of his childhood years growing up in Jackson, MS and graduated from Forest Hill High School. He attended college at Texas A&M University then transferred to Texas State University in San Marcos and graduated with a B.S. in chemistry. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from Brigham Young University Law School in Provo, UT in 1991. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from 1982-1984 in the France Paris Mission.
He worked as a corporate attorney and then later as a director of technology transfer and licensing at Hewlett-Packard for 21 years. Alan loved the outdoors and enjoyed hiking, fishing, hunting, and photography. He loved to travel and was able to visit 52 countries. One of his favorite places to visit was Japan, and he was happy to travel there several times.
Alan married Shannon Bott in Dec 1995 and they had two daughters, Alexa Makell and Lauren Alana Catherine. They later divorced in 2002. Alan raised his daughters as a single dad in Roseville, CA, and worked hard to learn how to do their hair, cook for them, and teach them.
Alan is survived by his daughters Alexa Leal and Lauren Leal-Harman (Chris), his sister Angela Nelson (Kevin), his mother Cathy Kelly (Allen), and his father Leonard Leal (Carolyn). He is also survived by his uncle Phillip E. Couch (Mary Ann), nieces Kaiah, Katie, and Kara Nelson, and two cousins, two stepbrothers, and one stepsister. He was preceded in death by his grandparents and his ex-wife Shannon.
Services for Alan will be Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, at 11:00 am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Draper 7th Ward chapel located at 12353 S 600 E, Draper. A viewing will be held Friday, Jan. 10, from 6:00-8:00 pm at Larkin Sunset Gardens in Sandy. There will also be a viewing held immediately before the funeral service Saturday from 9:30-10:45 am at the Draper 7th Ward chapel. Interment to immediately follow the funeral in Larkin Sunset Gardens cemetery. An open house will be held in his honor Saturday afternoon from 3:00-5:00 pm at his sister's home located at 2288 N 900 W, Pleasant Grove.
I went to Forest Hill with Alan in Jackson. He was a great friend to me and I think of him often. I will remember him as being super smart and having a fun and unique sense of humor.
My deepest sympathy to the entire family.
