Gloria Durrant's Obituary
Gloria Durrant, 88, passed away peacefully on November 22, 2023. She was born
November 5th, 1935 in Tooele, UT.
Much of Gloria’s formative years were spent around the family homesteads in Tooele
and Vernon. She loved her family dearly. From her childhood to the end of her life, she
recited the line “God bless Dean, Connie, Howard, Gloria, Max, Ralph, Lynn, Dell,
Floyd.” As a child of the Great Depression, Gloria learned to be thrifty, resourceful, and
resilient. She was outgoing, playing in the marching band and lifeguarding at the pool.
As a young adult, she lived in both San Francisco and Los Angeles before eventually
returning to Utah.
Gloria studied at BYU, University of Utah, and Westminster College to become a nurse,
but later chose a career as an administrative assistant. She worked at BYU in their
athletic department and at Grantsville High School in the library. She also worked as a
paralegal for several law firms, including the Disabled American Veterans. She was an
incessant reader, with a broad mind for subjects of all kinds. She advocated for diversity
and equality.
Without a doubt, Gloria’s greatest joy came from her son Terry and her triplet daughters
Melinda, Melanie, and Marilyn. She was anything but an ordinary mother. She would
laugh, sing, and dance around her living room to rock and roll music. Raising four kids
on her own, she either thrifted clothes or made them herself. The bread she baked had
food coloring swirls to be extra special for the kids. She hosted neighborhood sleepovers
on her front lawn every night during the summer. She loved taking her kids on drives to
the canyons and to visit relatives in Vernon. Annual trips to California included stories
about her time there.
As a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Gloria had a
strong reverence for her family’s history. She wrote dozens of biographies of her
relatives, and spent endless hours compiling records and photos. She was a proud
second-generation member of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers.
Gloria will be remembered as a truly unique and free-spirited woman who kept her
family close to her heart. No affliction could extinguish her creativity or sense of humor.
She loved making memories as much as she did preserving them. She honored every last
artifact, photo, and story of her ancestors. Future generations have inherited her respect
for the past, as well as her fearless resolve to follow her own path.
Gloria is survived by her children Terry Todd (Linda) Allen, Melinda Bee Johnson
(Kenneth) Miner, Melanie Bee Johnson (Kurtis) Willden, Marilyn Bee Johnson
(Roger) Shepherd and brothers Ralph Oborn Durrant and Rendell Oborn Durrant.
Gloria had 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Gloria was preceded in death
by her mother Emily Jorgensen Oborn Durrant, her father Rendell Porter Durrant, her
brothers Dean Oborn Durrant, Howard Oborn Durrant, Max Oborn Durrant, Lynn
Oborn Durrant, Floyd Oborn Durrant, her sister Connie Almira Durrant, and greatgranddaughter
ArouraLee Marie Randles.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Tooele, Utah in the spring of 2024. Gloria will be
interred next to her family at the cemetery in Vernon, Utah.
What’s your fondest memory of Gloria?
What’s a lesson you learned from Gloria?
Share a story where Gloria's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Gloria you’ll never forget.
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