Kurt "G" Hanks' Obituary
Kurt “G” Hanks was born in Payson, Utah, on September 23, 1947, to George Elmer “Kelly” Hanks and Thelma Lucille Lee Hanks. He passed away May 13, 2026, in Sandy, Utah. The family extends their thanks to the Sandy Health & Rehab staff and his hospice team for their dedicated care during a difficult time.
Raised in and near Salem, Utah, Kurt was the youngest of three boys. On a ranch south of Salem, they learned the value of hard work raising cattle and alfalfa. Kurt attended school in Salem and Spanish Fork, graduating from Spanish Fork High School before earning a degree in Industrial Design from Brigham Young University. He also served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Texas South Mission.
Kurt married Corinne Reed, and together they had 13 amazing children: David (Emily), Aaron, Amy (Chris), Jo (Steven), Jonathan (Callie), Melanie (Vance), Samuel (Megan), Joshua, Cassie Jill (Shawn), Benjamin (Nanci), Lizzie (Devin), Jenny (Jeff), and Molly (Lane). This marriage eventually ended in divorce. Years later, he and Christine Greer became the parents of a wonderful daughter, Emily, his 14th child. Later in life, Kurt met his very special friend, Barbara Hamilton, to whom he was married for a time, and who was such a help and support as his health began to decline.
Kurt shared his talents as a teacher of industrial design at his alma mater, BYU, and later designed and directed corporate training and consulting programs at the Franklin Institute (now FranklinCovey). His creative vision shaped museum layouts, exhibits, visitors’ centers, entertainment destinations, and marketing campaigns. An accomplished author, he wrote or co-wrote many books on design principles and the visualization of ideas, as well as the definitive Christmas resource, The Santa Claus Book.
Perhaps the best use of his creative mind was the storytelling he shared with his children—filling their young minds with magical stories accompanied by vivid sketches that flowed from his hand as quickly as the words left his mouth.
Kurt was preceded in death by his parents; an infant sister, Lucille; his brothers, Ted (Della) and Boyd (Deanna); and his son, Aaron. He is survived by his children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Kurt faced many challenges in his 78 years, from a nearly fatal childhood bout of rheumatic fever to the brutal dementia of his final years, with countless struggles in between. In spite of the difficulties, he often found humor in the chaos. His laugh was infectious, and he loved making others laugh even more. The “dad joke” may have been around for centuries, but Kurt Hanks perfected it.
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