Gary L Brown's Obituary
A native of Utah, Gary L Brown was born on 06 July 1947 in Provo, Utah. He passed away in Orem, Utah, on 01 Feb 2022, at the age of 74.
He was married to E Kay Wiley Brown for 51 years and is the father of Wade, Jason (d. 23 Aug 2014), Melisa (David), Joshua (Suzann), and Atalie. He was the proud Grandfather of Garrek (& Ashley: Lillia*, Melanie*), Ailli, Jenna, Maika (& Nathaniel), Neleh (of Wade); Amanda, Ashlyn (of Jason); Rachel (& Tyler: Shawn*, Lorelai*), Tiffany, Elisabeth (of Melisa & David Ladle); Sidney, Tanner (Zelda*); Quinn (& Tessa), Riley (of Joshua & Suzann); Alohna (Mckenzie*), Cedric, Cai, Alaisa, Ataylee (Ares*), Ckezra, Cyeele (of Atalie Moore). *Seven great-grandchildren
He is survived by older siblings Virginia ‘Ginny’ (Earl Ludvigson), Robert ‘Bobby’ (Connie), and younger sister Dorothy (Mike Carter). He was preceded in death by his parents Cecil and Helen Brown, sisters Nancy and Debra ‘Debbie’, and his beloved wife Kay.
As a youth he was fascinated with rivers and streams, often choosing to get side-tracked there at times, over making it to school on time, if at all. Another location for countless hours of play was by the tracks, placing pennies to have them flattened by the wheels of the locomotives.
With cousins and friends, many a carefree youthful summer’s day was spent as paratroopers using blankets, towel capes, and umbrellas in an attempt to glide gently down from a rooftop. Due to a slight miscalculation of height, gravity, and speed on these important missions, he suffered a broken arm.
As a young man, he looked forward to spending summers with Grandpa Fronk in Cutler, UT. This Included, on at least one occasion, travel by train to Mexico to see a bull fight.
While attending Provo High he was really into cars. He also had his eye on a certain young lady (since 8th grade) from the cheer leading team. He and Kay married on 10 June 1966, in Springville, Utah, and made their first few homes in Provo.
They bowled together on a league for a few years and won some trophies. They also played in racquetball tournaments. Kay helped Gary build a playhouse over the sand pile and remodel the garage into a family room. On one or more occasions, Kay tossed the kids into the car to run Gary to the emergency room for various cuts or a nail through his finger.
Gary and Kay spent many weekends with their new little family, fishing, and boating with their extended families at Strawberry Reservoir and other favorite local spots. They loved taking their children to the mountains, lakes, and deserts; instilling a love of the outdoors and teaching them the basics of hiking, fishing, and hunting.
They later realized their dream of moving to build a large home and garden, on a two-acre farmland in Payson, Utah. The family spent several months living in the unfinished basement of two-by-four walls covered with black plastic and carpet pieces on the cement until the upstairs had been completed.
The next few years were spent learning to raise milk cows, rabbits, chickens, dogs, cats, a bountiful garden, and one year the puniest and most pathetic pig the processing plant ever had the task of processing.
Gary and Kay loved learning, and through their pursuit of knowledge became experts in canning and drying the fruits and vegetables grown on the farm. This often went long into the evenings.
After a few years of farming, they built another house a few miles west doing everything themselves except for the foundation and brick work. The location in the cul-de-sac was near a dangerous hill, and there were numerous times they had to run out to treat people in shock from car crashes until the paramedics arrived. It happened enough times that they made a space in the front closet for blankets, flashlights, and a first aid kit.
In 1986, Kay and Gary moved the family to Orem and started an Heirloom Wood Products business working together to design and build fully decorated doll houses and furniture, picture frames, and hair dryer and curling iron holders. A couple of years later they started a handyman business and worked together to renovate peoples' homes as they had done many times to all of their own.
They ultimately returned to Provo in 2012 where they rekindled their love of gardening, beautifying their homestead, and hosting backyard get-togethers for the family. A discovery of a bee hive in one of the trees turned into a bee-keeping hobby for the last four years. This was the perfect complement to his efforts in the greenhouse and massive garden, of producing so much fresh vegetables and fruit for himself and all of the local children, that he was also able to make regular deliveries to the local food bank.
During the course of Gary’s life he became a Jack-of-all-trades with a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. He was hardworking, creative, inventive, resourceful, a plethora of knowledge—a Garypedia really. He was generous, giving, quiet and reserved. He had a sarcastic and teasing sense of humor that will live on in the hearts of those he blessed with the gift of his presence.
He will be missed by family, friends and loved ones. In the final hours, he was surrounded by family, laughter, tears, and love. We will miss him and know that he will now be with mom (Kay) and many other cherished family members.
A viewing will be held on Sunday, 06 February, 2022, from 2-5pm at Premier Funeral Services, 1160 N 1200 W in Orem, Utah. A small graveside service will be held at 10am at Orem City Cemetery (1520 N 800 E).
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