Warren G Eyre, MD

August 18, 1937 - August 27, 2011

A spiritual, gentle man, Warren Gene Eyre, 74, did not go gentle into that good night, but raged against colon cancer these last 8 years until the dawn of Saturday, the 27th of August, passing away next to his once teenaged bride. A true renaissance man, with his broad fund of knowledge and the wisdom of the ages, he became a perfect sounding board for those seeking his counsel. A poet and a scholar, he had an insatiable appetite for the well-written word, turning his home into a library, with dog-eared books on every wall. He was an educator who taught us to appreciate the lovely and the beautiful in all its forms in nature and the arts. A kind, compassionate wise, Christ-like physician who retired just last year, his patients adored him, and his colleagues held him in high esteem. His three sons also became physicians largely due to his example. Honorably discharged a Commander in the Navy, he served his country with heroic strength and dignity for 13 years. He was born to Sherman and Lasca Osborn Eyre, August 18, 1937 in Escalante, and was reborn every time he was surrounded by red rock, or was mounted on his horse. A consummate love story, he and his beauty queen sweetheart, Gretha, eloped to Fredonia, Arizona at 15, and then he gladly chose to become a father while serving as student body president at Panguitch High. He was accepted to the University of Utah Medical School after 3 years at Utah State University. Through a tremendous work ethic and sacrifice, he earned his medical degree at the age of 24 with three children in tow, and a rank of Lieutenant in the Navy. He distinguished himself during his residency in Dermatology at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, and upon graduation, was immediately asked to join the staff and help educate other young dermatologists. Warren enriched the lives of his family and friends with his personal relationship with God. He found the divine everywhere from the aspen groves at the foothills of Mount Timpanogos in his back yard, to the slot canyons of the Escalante wilderness. To see nature through his eyes brought you closer to God. He retired the first time at 52, so he and his beloved could explore the world. Ever the students, they researched their destination, immersed themselves in the culture, and explored on their own. It was a metaphor of their life - taking the road less traveled. He became a poet in Paris, an archeologist in Egypt, a genealogist in England and Scandinavia, a connoisseur of the arts in Italy. A cowboy at heart, he was more comfortable at his practice in his boots, and at home in his wranglers and spurs. He and his Panguitch bride loved to explore the desert southwest and the alpine Wasatch Mountains from the vantage point of a saddle. He was particularly honored to aid in the extension of the Great Western Trail from Provo canyon to Dry Creek, due to his knowledge and conservation efforts in that area. After being diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer, Warren calmly proclaimed he would do all he could to prolong his life, to serve his patients, advance medical science, and to share special moments with his family. You would never know the physical agony he endured while witnessing him care for patients through the last years of his life. He will live within us always. We thank him for the strength of his character, his wisdom and his insight, his humor, his dedication, his courage, and for his love. Words are poor substitutes for the melodies of a heart which has inhabited a life with such grace and power, and whose rhythms have extended into the lives of so many. He is survived by his wife, Gretha Marie Woodard; his siblings, Anthony (Karen), Harmon (Julie), Steven (Rona), Marjorie (William Call), Douglas (Lannice); his children, Russell (Becky), Fran (Todd Sweeten), Steven (Pixie), Linda Eyre Nelford, Greg (Margaret); 20 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. There will be a visitation Friday, September 2nd, at the LDS Chapel, 1106 E. 200 S., Pleasant Grove, from 7 to 8:30 PM and Saturday, 10 AM. The funeral begins at 11 AM, followed by interment at the Pleasant Grove Cemetery.