Gary Hughes Brockbank

Salt Lake City, UT-Gary Hughes Brockbank passed away peacefully on May 14, 2025. He was born on February 24, 1937, to William Hughes and Fawn Jones Brockbank in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is survived by his children, Kimberly Brown (Michael), Duncan Brockbank (Laura), and Joshua Brockbank; five beloved grandchildren, Amelia Brown Romney (Cody), Tyler Brown (Zuleika), Melissa Brown Kletzli (Jacob), Tristan Brockbank, Will Brockbank, two great-grandchildren, Cash and Leighton Romney, and sister, Bonnie Jeanne Brockbank Huish.

Gary graduated from East High School in 1955 and went on to attend the University of Utah, where he was actively involved in the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, The Utah Daily Chronicle, and student government. He served an LDS mission to the Eastern States from 1957 to 1959 before returning to complete his degree in History in 1961.

Following graduation, Gary was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. In the spring of 1962, he married his college sweetheart, Dorothy (Dotti) Duncan. Shortly after their wedding, the couple moved to Kaiserslautern, Germany, where Gary served as a First Lieutenant in the Second Military Intelligence Battalion. Upon their return to Utah, Gary began a long and varied career as an entrepreneur, owning and operating several businesses. He served two terms in the Utah State House of Representatives and was a founding board member and president of the W. Hughes Brockbank Foundation.

Gary loved to travel. He was a lifelong tennis player, skier, and occasional golfer. He was a self-taught architect who designed and oversaw the construction of three family homes. His love of numbers and problem-solving led him to spend countless hours immersed in his own detailed Excel spreadsheets. Above all, Gary was devoted to his family-never missing a little league game, school performance, or a moment when his children needed guidance or support.

His love for Dotti was unwavering from the moment he met her. He often recounted the story of their first date and how he knew that very night she was "the one." He carried that same love and devotion into his role as a grandfather, always deeply proud of his "beautiful and smart" family. He delighted in each grandchild's individuality, often marveling at how different they were, yet how special each one was in their own way.

Perhaps Gary's most defining quality was his optimism. His family often joked-and sometimes complained-that he saw the world through rose-colored glasses. He treated everyone with kindness and gave the benefit of the doubt, even to those who were less kind in return. He had a natural warmth and an easy way with people-always genuinely interested in others and quick to put them at ease.

In his later years, his favorite phrase, taken from a beloved church hymn, was "I stand all amazed." And he did. He never lost his wonder for life, his deep appreciation for beauty and goodness, or his sincere gratitude for those who cared for him, even as dementia clouded his memory.

Gary will be deeply missed by all who were fortunate enough to know him.

A viewing for family and friends will be held at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary (3401 S. Highland Drive) on Wednesday, May 28, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a charity of your choice in Gary's memory.