Marylene Gail Young's Obituary
One beautiful Spring day, (the day was actually Monday, March 29th, 1943, if you must know), Marylene Gail Hamilton was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. Few people outside of her mother, father and hospital staff were aware of this event. But many people commented on the warm radiant sun that morning. After all, Gail was a radiant soul who loved the bright and happy things in life, and the sun followed her wherever she went. Others noticed that the aroma of the Spring flowers seemed sweeter that afternoon. It’s true that Gail loved flowers, and their scent seemed to follow her wherever she went. Some actually observed an abundance of purple in the evening sky. There can be little doubt that this is because Gail especially loved purple. Where Gail went, there went purple.
There must have been strong winds that Spring, too, because her father abandoned Gail and her mother while Gail was still an infant. She and her mother returned to the family home and Gail was raised not just by her loving mother, but by her doting grandmother, her wise grandfather, and her many cheerful aunts and uncles as they came and went. She learned much from her Epperson relatives. When Gail’s mother remarried, Gail soon loved her new siblings as much as she had her extended family.
On another beautiful Spring day, this time in May of 1962, the birds sang and the bees hummed and Gail married her high school sweetheart, Michael Moore. Together they had three children, Chris, Greg, and Jamie. She loved these three boys dearly. As radiant as she was, she thought of her children as the light of her life. But the winds returned, and in the spring of 1970, Michael and Gail decided that things were better if they divorced.
Still, Gail continued to flourish. She planted gardens of flowers, some pink, some white, mostly purple. She worked as manager for a school kitchen, and later as a librarian, because she loved good food and good books and wanted to share them with others. Her house, with her three boys, was a center for family gatherings, whether it be for a holiday, with the festive decorations and a large family meal, or an impromptu visit and conversation. Whatever the occasion, she made the house beautiful for her guests, and her guests felt welcomed. Most importantly, her three boys knew how much she loved them. She gave everything she had to them, and they grew in love and kindness.
Time passed, and her children became adults and left their childhood home. No sooner did Gail find herself living alone, when Kenny Young, her other high school sweetheart (why have one when you can have two), came back into her life, and they married. They spent over thirty-two wonderful years together, traveling to see both Gail’s family and Kenny’s family, and watching their children marry and have children of their own. She loved her husband dearly. As radiant as she was, she thought of her husband as the light of her life.
Many more Spring days came with their flowers and sunshine, and every so often, the wind would blow. Gail’s cherished youngest son, Jamison, passed away in 2013. Over time, Gail also saw each of her younger siblings pass away. Then, in 2023, her husband, Kenny, died unexpectedly.
Gail was on her own again for the first time in over thirty years. Her house was filled with flowers and other small trinkets that represented the happy memories of the life she had created. She welcomed her children and her neighbors, always with love in her heart and food for their bellies. She was happy, but she was alone. She spoke longingly of the people who had passed before her: her husband Kenny, her son Jamie, her siblings, her mother, and her aunts, uncles, and grandparents that had helped to raise her. She did not complain, and she smiled as she spoke, but it was clear that she missed them all terribly.
And so, on a sunny Spring evening, (the day was actually March 21st, 2024), Gail went to sleep for the last time on this earth. Sometime before morning on the 22nd, she passed peacefully and naturally, without pain, without struggle.
With the passing of Gail Young, there may be a little less of Spring this year. She would want us to make that right. So, as we go about our day in the coming weeks, let us all notice the flowers, especially the purple ones. Let us cherish the conversations and meals we share with our loved ones. And, if you knew Gail, let us remember the light in her eyes, her kind smile, and those sweet bits of Spring that she brought with her wherever she went: the scent of her favorite perfume, the light and colors of her jewelry and clothing, and the cheerful demeanor that always put everyone at ease.
Gail is preceded in death by her parents, Lillian Marylene Epperson and LeRoy Fred Hamilton; her four siblings, Shonna Lynn Shepherd Alva, D’Owen Shepherd, Robert John Gannon, and Loretta Jean Gannon Santiago; her son, Jamison Mark Moore; and her husband Kenneth E. Young. She is survived by her sons, Chris (Diane) and Greg (Momoko); her step-daughter Shelli (Kenny); her grandchildren, Austin, Jagger (Natalia), Mckenzie (Jeremy), Amaria, Coleman (Amanda), Eliza, Milou, and Wolf; and her three great-grandchildren, Valentín, Townes, and Rory.
A viewing will be held on a Spring day, Saturday, March 30th, 2024, at the LDS chapel located at 200 North 200 West, Bountiful, Utah at 10.00 AM. Funeral services will follow at 11.00 AM.
Interment at Memorial Lakeview Cemetery, 1640 Lakeview Drive in Bountiful, immediately following the services.
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