George William Plant Jr.

October 9, 1924 - December 7, 2021

George William Plant Jr. Murray, Utah George W. Plant Jr., 1924-2021, Murray UT, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family at his home on December 7th, 2021 in Murray UT. The date could not be more fitting considering it was the 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor—the home port of his service during WWII. He passed away due to natural causes. He was born October 9th, 1924 in Salt Lake City to Ella Mable Jacobsen and George William Plant, Sr. He was the oldest of three children. He was a devoted Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, Uncle, Cousin, Brother and Friend to all. He was born and raised in the most humbling circumstances. There was plenty of struggles and sacrifice growing up in the Great Depression. It taught him the value of hard work, helping others and sharing what you had with those in need. It was this upbringing that would establish his values and service to others for the rest of his life. He had a great love for people. Dad always championed the less fortunate. The doors of their home were always opened to strangers, friends and family. It was not unusual to have many guests living with us at any given time. We always thought of them as another member of the Family. Furthermore, Sunday dinners were always big deal and included many new faces on a weekly basis. Dad and Mom eventually had to add a back room to the house to accommodate all the guest. He joined the Navy to serve in WWII at the age of 17. His service was in the Pacific Theater. He got to see the world. He was at the forefront of many battles including Formosa, Leyte Gulf and Iwo Jima. He served on a couple of air craft carriers. His final service was on the USS Chenango. He was part of the initial occupation force after the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan. He later served as an Army reservist during the Korean War. He did a tour of duty where he was also at the forefront of that war. He was awarded many top citations and medals for his courage, service and bravery. His most prized medals were finally awarded by a US Congressman and several Generals 70 years after the war for his gallantry and valor in a special ceremony held in Memory Grove. He never sought attention or recognition for his service. He was always very shy and quiet about his service in the military. In fact, most of his war experiences were shared only in the last 15 years after his military buddies told us the stories of his heroics. More importantly, he never needed a war to make him a hero. He was always a hero to us. He consistently looked forward to the annual air craft carrier’s reunion and was one of the last remaining survivors of the original 1900 Sailors. Most of his shipmates lost their lives to cancer from exposure to the radiation from the Atomic bomb. He was successful in battling many bouts of cancer over the years. Upon his return from one of his military breaks, he married the love of his life, Twila Jane Humpherys, in June of 1947 in SLC, which was later Solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple. They were married for 72 years before she preceded him in death in 2019. They had a storied life. They made their life-long home in Murray, raising a family of 5 children. Each child figured out a way to try his patience. We may have caused a lot of gray hairs, but as hard as we tried, we never caused any hair loss. His full head of hair remained intact until the end. Life was never boring. You can be assured he was not always the innocent party in the mayhem. He was just as big of an instigator to trouble, jokes, pranks and things gone wrong as the rest of us. Dad graduated from Granite High School. He would later train as a Machinist for the Emico Company before he entered the military. This would serve as the foundation for his career. He retired from the Federal Government as defense auditor. He always to seemed to find time to teach us new things or help us develop our talents. We were always his greatest love in life. Family was very important to him. His heart was always open to us and so many others. Nothing gave him more satisfaction than to share his time and talents with others. He was an incredible musician on the Trumpet. He performed with The Glen Miller Band in the service and with Louis Armstrong on another occasion. The sound of his trumpet was often resonating through the home. He always said, “It was music for the ears”. He also spent endless hours perfecting his skills in figure skating. He had the opportunity to work with many Olympians over the years and excelled in this sport. Watching him skate was like watching a masterpiece of art develop right before your eyes. He loved to write poetry and shared his works with many people. The best part was getting one of these poems in a handwritten format. His writing was spectacular, elegant, professional and flawless. His writing alone, was a work of art. Unfortunately, it made it impossible to forge his signature for unlawful activity or skipping school. He loved to talk to people. He was a gifted conversationalist. He could literally talk to anyone about anything. It was so natural for him. He could start talking to strangers and you thought they had been friends for years. I always enjoyed talking to friends, neighbors and family. He had a great love of the outdoors. We spent a lot of time hunting, fishing, camping and exploring. We spent many days in the Airstream trailer and International Travelall truck enjoying our next adventure. He was always willing to share his knowledge about geology, plants and nature. Most of all, he loved to go to the cabin as much as he could. It is where he felt peace and the closest to nature. It became more and more difficult as time went on, but his heart was always there. He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He loved helping others. He served 6 years with his wife at the IMC Hospital as a service missionary. He was still doing this at the age of 92. They met many great people and built many friendships through their service. However, his greatest service was that of a missionary. He loved to share the message of the gospel. George is survived by his sister, Joyce Plant Hicks and his children: Brent (Amaida), Terry (Ann), Cory (Suzanne), Craig (Valerie), Lori Thomas (Steve) and his dog, Miles who served as loyal companion. 1 sibling, 19 Grandchildren, 27 Great-Grandchildren. Preceded in death by his wife Twila, Brother Joseph Edward Plant, Parents, Grandchild (Eric Plant) and many others. We would like to express our utmost gratitude to the Harmony Hospice Team, especially Reggie, Levy, Heidi and Laurie. Thank you for your love, care and compassion with our father. We can never express enough appreciation for what you did. You were angels. Services will be held on Tuesday, December 14th at 11:00 AM at Valley Park Ward, 5750 South Nena Way, Murray UT. A viewing will be held before the service at same location from 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM. Intermit will be at Larkin Sunset Gardens where the Honor Guard will present the colors. Join Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85317431362 Meeting ID 853 1743 1362