Gaylon Vance Pierce

1935 - 2012

Gaylon Vance Pierce, 77, of West Valley City, Utah passed away on Thursday, April 19, 2012. He battled diabetes, congestive heart failure and cancer.

Gaylon was born on February 10, 1935 in Richfield, Utah to Arthur Lee Pierce and Adelia Mott Pierce who resided in Torrey, Utah.

Gaylon spent his early years in Torrey before his family moved to Salt Lake City. He graduated from West High School where he excelled in football and was captain of the Gymnastics team. He joined the Air Force and attended the Air University and was involved with the Strategic Air Command.

In January of 1956, he married Joanne Overstreet in Charleston, South Carolina and had three children, Michael, Sherry, and Ronnie, with her before divorcing. He married Marilyn and later divorced. He married Bonnie Jones and had another daughter, Nicole, and later divorced.

Gaylon was a skilled electronics technician and engineer who worked for Hill Air Force Base, Sperry, Montek, and E-Systems. He owned or co-owned some airplanes thru the years and was a pilot who loved to fly. He not only flew the airplanes, he maintained, serviced, and repaired them. It seemed he could troubleshoot and fix anything. During his career, he received many letters of appreciation and other awards.

During the last 20 years, Gaylon was closely involved in raising his youngest daughter, Nicole. She thinks of him as a wonderful, loving, and devoted father and friend. He lived a legacy of integrity, honesty, and accountability.

He is survived by his aforementioned children and their spouses, Nicole’s husband Jared Gehmann, and two of his ex-wives; by his sister-in-law, Myrle Pierce; and by many cousins, nieces, and nephews. The family would like to thank cousin Marilyn Mott for all she did for Gaylon in his last years, months, and days and good friends, Denis Deck and Gene Werner.

Gaylon was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Verd Pierce, Clair Pierce, Reed Pierce & wife Naomi, and only sister, Luane Crawford-Smith & her husbands, Buford Crawford and Roma Smith.

Funeral services will be held for family and friends on Friday, May 4, 2012, at 2:00 pm at the Valley View Funeral Home, 4335 W. 4100 S., West Valley City, Utah. There will be a viewing that same day beginning at 12:00 pm at Valley View. Interment: Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 E. 10600 S., Sandy, Utah.

Condolences may be sent at www.valleyviewfuneral.com