Alan Alexander Hyde was born May 4th 1927, in Cardston, Alberta, Canada to William Preston and Jeanne Thompson Hyde. He was one of 4 brothers - Kenneth, Gordon and Wallace, and 2 sisters – Helen and his twin sister Audrey. Audrey was born first and was the larger twin. It took a while for Alan to finally thrive, and he was undersized most of his life. Growing up, kids called him “Sparrow” - short for a speckled sparrow egg, and his dad called him “Manny.” He liked those nicknames and old friends from Canada would occasionally use them. He was always independent and liked roaming the foothills and creeks of southern Alberta along with most other boys his age. He had fond memories from working summers at Cameron Lake in Waterton National Park, one of his favorite places on earth. Early in life, Alan was less mature and was held back a year behind Audrey. Then as a teen, he became discouraged after beginning his senior year late because he’d helped in the harvest. He dropped out of school and just worked odd jobs, never graduating from high school.
In February of 1949, Alan was called to serve as a full-time missionary in Australia for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, after saving $500 to pay the full cost of his mission. He spent the first 4 months of his mission in Fresno, California due to a boat strike. When the elders were finally able to get a boat to Australia, they booked passage on a freighter ship, which took a full month to get there. Alan served in Adelaide, Sydney, and Hobart, where he was able to bless the lives of many people. He sailed home on a cruise ship following the completion of his mission.
When Alan returned home, despite not having a high school diploma, he earned his GED and attended Brigham Young University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business. He put himself through school by cutting hair for students in his dorm room; some became well known – he liked name dropping their names. While attending BYU he met a young freshman, Elinor Godfrey, and was amazed by her maturity. He later received a strong spiritual confirmation that she was the “one.” They fell in love and on June 3rd, 1955, they were married and sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple. Together, they had six children and many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Initially, the family resided in the avenues of Salt Lake City but later moved to the East Millcreek bench, where they built a new home with a beautiful view of Mount Olympus and the Salt Lake Valley. They resided in the same home for over 56 years.
Alan worked for several companies after graduating from BYU, including ZCMI, Terminex, Heartland Realty, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was also self-employed for many years running his own termite pest control business. He was able to pay for flying lessons by trading his own self-painted oil paintings and was an avid pilot. He also served in the Civil Air Patrol and was an active member of the local Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter.
Alan was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and it was rare for him to miss Sunday services. He loved home teaching, and he made a huge effort to never miss the opportunity to minister to his families. He and Elinor served as missionaries at the Family History Library, and as stake missionaries for many years. Alan was proud of the fact that even at an old age, he and Elinor were “set-apart” missionaries when they both passed. They were always eager to share the gospel with others. Alan had a great love for Jesus Christ, and he enjoyed studying the scriptures and other books for insight and knowledge.
Alan was an independent soul, and at various times in his life he struggled with physical and mental health problems that manifested in ways that sometimes turned people away, especially close family members. He was insistent even to the very end that he could take care of himself and didn’t need help. Neighbors at times were concerned seeing Alan on his high rooftop shoveling off heavy snow, but Alan was insistent that he was fine. As a family, it was a challenge dealing with his stubborn tendencies, especially after Elinor passed. Again, he was adamant that he could take care of himself even to the very end. It was quite amazing what he did as a 94-year-old man, until his health declined rapidly over the last few months.
Prior to Elinor’s death last year, they celebrated 65 years of marriage. Alan is survived by his children: Kathryn Kelly, Margaret Jenkins (Bruce), Linda Read (David), Gordon Hyde (Roxana), Michael Hyde (Cyndi), and James Hyde, along with 37 grandchildren and 36 great grandchildren. Alan was preceded in death by his wife Elinor, his parents and siblings, his son-in-law Randy Kelly, and a great granddaughter Brooke Kelly.
