Glenn Graham Enke

Glenn was born June 18, 1936, in Sacramento, California to Glenn and Ruth Enke. He and his family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints when he was nine, while living in Boise, Idaho. Soon after, his family moved to Salt Lake City. He was part of Olympus High School's first graduating class in 1954.

In high school he earned money by repairing TVs or small electronics in people’s homes, carrying the needed replacement vacuum tubes and small parts with him, charging $2.00/visit.

Glenn’s faith deepened after a serious car accident left him in a life-threatening condition, and he attributes his miraculous healing to the prayers of his family and friends. Faith in God was an integral part of his life.

Glenn attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, studying electrical engineering. At the age of 20 he served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Central States Mission.

After his mission, he returned to BYU, where he met his sweetheart, Janet Lourie Forsling on a blind date. They were married on July 29, 1961, in the Manti, Utah Temple. They both graduated from BYU in 1962.

Throughout his life he loved reading, tinkering with electronics, and puzzling out how things worked. As a small child, he noticed the furnace and said, “I bet I could take it to-part.” Though he started by taking things apart, he soon was putting them back together again. His children say that he was just like the father in a children’s book, My Father Can Fix Anything, one of the many books Glenn read to his children.

He loved playing board games with his family, building things, and experimenting – including once sending an unsuspecting cat down the laundry chute as a youth, the cat landed on a soft pile of clothes, allegedly. He loved learning, had a charming nerdy sense of humor, and liked to start the day with puzzles such as sudoku, Jumble, and Wordle.

Glenn completed post-graduate coursework at BYU in the earliest days of software engineering, then launched a career that would span from punch cards and vacuum tubes to artificial intelligence.

He began his career at IBM in San Jose, California before joining Control Data Corporation in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he spent nearly a decade as both an electrical and software engineer. He later returned to Utah to be closer to family, accepting a position with Eyring Research.

Eventually, Glenn chose to become an independent consultant forming Paragon Software Engineering. His company contracted with the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, which brought his family to Fallbrook, California. Glenn's son, Matthew, joined Paragon in 1992. Matthew counts it among the great privileges of his life to have worked alongside his father for many years.

Over his long career, Glenn creatively problem solved hardware, software, and even human errors for Paragon’s various government contracts, including a long-standing contract with the Red River Army Depot.

Glenn and Janet returned to Salt Lake County, Utah in 2000, eventually settling in Millcreek.

Glenn had the biggest heart! He truly cared for all people, most especially his sweet wife Janet, and his children. He made each child feel they were his favorite. He will be deeply missed by his family and all who were privileged to know him.

Glenn is survived by his wife Janet and his children Aaron Enke (Amy), Nan Ellsworth (James), Matthew Enke (Debbie), Rachel Smith (Scott), Elizabeth Lemon (Nathaniel), Jessica Crane, his 26 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by siblings, Alan Enke (Marnie) and Elizabeth Aagard (Brooks).

He is preceded in death by his son, Christoper Enke, his parents Glenn and Ruth Enke, his brother Arthur Enke, and great-granddaughter Lily McClaren.

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026, at 10:00 am at the Valley View Stake Center located at 2245 East 3900 South, Millcreek, Utah, 84124. A viewing will be held from 6:00 – 8:00 pm on Monday, April 20, 2026, and April 21 from 9:00 – 9:45 am at the same location.

Interment will follow services at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 S Highland Dr, Millcreek, UT 84106