Drylee Ann Goff

Drylee was born on April 18, 1941 in Afton Wyoming to parents Ralph and Norma Astle. She lived in Wyoming until the age of 7 when her parents decided they couldn’t do another Star Valley winter so they moved to Draper Utah. Drylee grew up in Draper and later Sandy – two places that she loved and would spend most of her life.

Drylee graduated from Jordan High School in 1959 and then became a certified key punch operator from Stevens-Henager College. She worked several years in the business office of Utah Home Fire Insurance Co.

In High School Drylee met Ralph Goff and thus started a great love affair that would last forever. In May of 1960, Drylee married Ralph in the Salt Lake City Temple. Drylee and Ralph moved into a small home in Sandy and both worked hard long hours while Ralph completed his engineering degree. As the college years were winding down, they started a family with their first-born Blake arriving in 1963. Ralph then took a job with the US Forest service and the small family moved to Vernal Utah. This career move proved short-lived as small town life with a husband off in the woods all week was not exactly what Drylee had envisioned for her life so she moved back to Sandy and Ralph wisely followed.

Family and Faith were guiding principles of her life and she steadily built both her family and testimony. LeAnn was born in the fall of 1966 and Byron followed in 1969. In 1977 Frank Smith joined the family as part of the Navajo placement program. Frank would become a long term permanent member of the family. In 1979 Matt joined the family and Amanda came along in 1980. With the energy that comes with a full house of children of various ages, Drylee was content although she likely would have kept adding children if it were up to her alone.

Throughout life Drylee was a steadfast and faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She served in a variety of positions including in the Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women’s Presidencies. Drylee served a few years as an ordinance worker in the Draper Utah temple. A job she continued to do as long as she felt comfortable.

Drylee and Ralph’s marriage was a true partnership; full of love, common goals, respect and happiness interrupted only by Ralph’s too frequent (in Drylee’s mind) fishing and hunting trips. In 1972 Ralph and Drylee built their dream house in the Dimple Dell area of Sandy and settled there and proceeded to raise their children, serve their church, welcome grandchildren, and live lives of happiness. They loved this house and their neighbors and found it a perfect place to raise their family.

Drylee was the ultimate Mom. Always there with a helping hand, a warm hug, good advice and strong direction when needed. Her kids learned the value of hard work, loyalty, and keeping up your end of a bargain. She loved us unconditionally and we loved her back the best we could.

Drylee was a quintessential home craftsman with quilting and cross stitching as her specialty. She learned these skills from her mother and became expert at them. At one point Drylee opened her own business called Lee’s Greenware which cranked out many a project for budding ceramicists. All of her children are lucky to possess examples of her exceptional handiwork.

Drylee is preceded in death by her beloved husband Ralph, her brothers Reynold and Paul, her Parents Ralph and Norma Astle and her grandson Michael. She is survived by her sister Vickie Lowder and her children Blake, LeAnn, Byron, Frank, Matthew, and Amanda and 20 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.

Drylee was a wonderful Mother, Wife, Grandma and Friend who will be solely missed by those lucky enough to have had her as part of their lives. We are sad she has left us but take comfort that she is now reunited with her beloved partner Ralph who we are sure is overjoyed to be with his sweetheart again.

A memorial service in Drylee’s honor will be held on Saturday January 31 at the Crescent View Ward house at 10945 South 1700 East in Sandy Utah. Services will begin with a viewing at 9:30 a.m. and a service beginning at 11:00. Following the service, Drylee will be buried at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 E. Dimple Dell Rd., Sandy, Utah.

To view Drylee's service, please click on the blue tab above that says "Watch Services".