Dale Gold

Milton Dale Gold was born on May 18, 1939 in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Milton O Gold and Linnie W Parker. He passed away on August 20, 2025 in Sandy, Utah, at the age of 86, after a struggle with Parkinson’s and a recent stroke.

Dale spent the first years of his life in Salt Lake City, near the Jordan River. His family then moved to Granite, on Dimple Dell Road. Dale was the second of five children, and his siblings were among his closest friends. Dale graduated from Jordan High School in 1957, where he was involved in several sports (including football and track) and played in the band. Dale also played the piano, the accordion and enjoyed singing in church choirs. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Eastern States Mission. He attended the University of Utah for a year, and then transferred to BYU where he earned a degree in Chemical Engineering. He married Evon Despain, who also grew up in Granite, on July 20, 1962 in the Manti Temple. They eventually had seven children, and lived in Idaho, Utah, Ohio, Washington, and then returned to Utah. Dale worked in a variety of industries as an engineer. Dale served in many callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and also served as a temple worker.

Dad’s love of hiking is legendary, born of a backyard in Granite that was literally the mountains. Bell Canyon reservoirs, waterfalls, and peaks were his playground. He considered this the perfect place and many of his happiest memories were there. Dad loved to hike, either alone or with whoever would go with him, but few could ever keep up. He knew every nook and cranny of those mountains, and even in his later years would go for a hike and be gone for the day. His final hike took place a few years ago, and true to the prediction that he would have to be carried off those mountains one day, paramedics escorted him home after a fall when he left the trail in search of a better way. He enjoyed fishing and camping and served as a scout leader well into his seventies.

Dad loved flowers of all kinds, but most especially wild flowers like Blue Bells and Indian Paintbrush. You could never plant too many flowers, and a piece of grass in his yard was just another flowerbed that had yet to be cleared out and planted. He also had a huge garden and would prepare the garden bed each spring by turning over the soil by hand, because he could do such a better job than any rototiller. In the fall, after the harvest, he would put everything to bed for the winter, again digging everything up himself. His grandkids will best remember him in overalls with a shovel in his hand.

Dad spent thousands of hours scanning old photos, which is an incredible gift to his posterity, and enjoyed family history and indexing. Dad enjoyed jigsaw puzzles and solving problems, of many sorts. He was always trying to build or create something and improve on it. Sometimes that was redesigning a greenhouse, or coming up with the perfect mix of chemicals for the best fertilizer. He had an appetite for knowledge and was always learning something new. His most important studies were of the gospel and he was a dedicated student and learner his entire life. His example of discipline and devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ will long be remembered.

Dale is survived by his wife, Evon, his children Dianne (Alan) Jex, Lee (Jackie) Gold, Becky (Craig) Griffiths, Bonnie (Jeff) Campbell, Carol (Denny) Underwood, Mark (Anne) Gold, and Nathan (Emryn) Gold; 27 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren (with another due in days).

He is also survived by his sister Cherry (Ed) Wolf, brothers Sid (Dona) Gold and Bryant (Beth) Gold and sister-in-law Julie Gold.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother (Stephen), grandson (Tyson) and great-grandson (Wesley).

Dad’s greatest frustrations came in the past few years, which accelerated during the past several months, when his body would not do what he wanted it to do anymore. Free at last, Dad . . . . there are mountains to hike, rivers to ford, polkas to play, and flowers to plant. Until we meet again!

The family wishes to thank the staff at Active Home Health & Hospice, and Valencia @ Willow Creek, for their compassionate care of Dad the past few months.

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday Aug 30th at 11 am, in the LDS Church Building at 1500 E 8600 S in Sandy, Utah. A viewing will be held the night before, Aug 29th, from 6-8 pm in the same location. There will also be a viewing from 10-10:45 am, immediately preceding the funeral service. Interment will be in the Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery located at 1950 E 10600 S in Sandy.