Glen Eldean Gardner

Glen Eldean Gardner died October 16, 2022, surrounded by loved ones whose lives he had so profoundly impacted.

Glen was born On April 20, 1945, as a 2lb. 7oz. twin to Ray and Urma Gardner in Roosevelt, Utah. As Glen tells the story, the doctor focused all of his initial efforts on his twin, assuming Glen had not survived. It was only when his twin died that the doctor noticed Glen’s tiny body still breathing. That tiny body, that would spend the first month of life sleeping in a shoe box in his parents’ dresser, eventually grew into a powerful 6 foot 4 frame. Glen always looked forward to the reunion with his twin, and did his best to live life enough for both of them. As the youngest of seven children, and of aging parents, he bore an increasingly heavy portion of the jobs on the ranch in Neola, UT where he grew up, learning the hard work and perseverance that would serve him throughout his life. When not hard at work, Glen would spend the afternoons playing in the creek behind the family home, playing horseshoes with his dad, and having cousins and family come to stay. In high school, Glen played the tenor saxophone, spent his summers lifeguarding and bailing hay, and playing sports of all kinds. He was a gifted athlete, eventually competing in football, basketball, and track at Dixie Junior College, and then football at Brigham Young University, before playing professionally for two years for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was a lifetime lover of BYU sports, proud all his life of helping BYU finally beat Utah and win its first football conference championship. Some of his closest lifelong friendships grew out of those college days.

While at BYU, Glen met and married Laura Jo “Jody” Mikkelson on June 30, 1966 in the Manti temple. Glen and Jody moved from Provo, Utah to Saskatchewan, Canada to Port Townsend and Seattle, Washington, before finally settling in Sandy, UT where they lived for the past 46 years. Glen and Jody loved to travel, and have fond memories of trips to Tahiti, Malaysia, Hawaii, Mexico, and Vancouver Island, but were always glad to return home to lifelong friends from their neighborhood. He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Glen was a dedicated husband to his wife, a devoted father to his two children, and then with the untimely death of his daughter, to her four children as well. Throughout their lives together, no one ever doubted Glen’s love and devotion to Jody–as Glen’s body slowed down, his greatest frustration was that he couldn’t dote on Jody the way he had throughout their marriage. Still, he did all that he could, driving Jody to the store and her appointments and waiting patiently for her in the car, often for longer than he planned, as Jody seemed to always find someone to chat with. Glen loved people, a trait that served him well through his career, which included working as a recreation therapist, in road and home construction, and in sales and management in a variety of industries, from hot tubs to diesel engines to waste management and he seemed to know at least a little about almost everything. He loved Louis L’Amour books, Twizzlers, Butterfingers, BYU mint brownies, Jody’s famous Spanish food, Coke, cycling, and woodcarving. He loved sunsets, and would call everyone’s attention to the gorgeous sunset views off the deck of the family home nearly every evening. His family members each have treasured birthday cards drawn by Glen, featuring him and his dog.
He had a deep love for the outdoors. He loved camping, pulling out all the stops for the Gardner family reunion in the Uintahs each year, and was an avid fisherman, one of the first to whom people turned to if they wanted to know where and what the fish were biting. To the end, he was still planning his next fishing trip.

More than any of his myriad hobbies and loves, however, he will most be remembered as a gentle giant, an imposing physical presence with a kind soul and undying optimism.

Glen is preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Urma Gardner, siblings Geraldine Seawright, Dee “Buddy” Gardner, Elva Evans, Karen Fonger, Eugene Gardner, his daughter Lisa Gardner Cook, and his great granddaughter Eloise Mae Crapo.

Glen is survived by his wife Jody, their son Jeff (Chelsea) and their children Britton, Em, and Brock; Lisa’s children, Lacey(Adam) Broome, Madi(AJ) Crapo, Kennedy (Broderick) Orr, Gardner (Laurie) Cook; and great grandchildren Charley, Olivia, William, Lincoln, Lennon, and
Everett; and his sister Leah Hamatake. Most were present on the day of his death, deeply grateful for the impact he had made on their lives.

Funeral services will be held at noon on Saturday, November 5, 2022, at the Granite View Ward, 2675 Mt. Jordan Rd, Sandy, UT. Viewing will be held Friday from 6 to 8 pm at Larkin Sunset Gardens Mortuary, 1950 E 10600 S, and from 10:30 to 11:30 on November 5th at the Granite View Ward. Interment will be at the Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery immediately following the services.

Those wishing to view the COMPLETED services via Zoom can click on "Watch Services" or follow the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/uQY7VeKAAdflfHQZNR9tlJbReANy-Asl0LL0DNOHyWqUMNVOVteIZQiduFDoTGK7.d2obBZMlmQ4uYaYS?startTime=1667669972000