Jeffery John Gillette

Jeffery John Gillette departed this world on September 4, 2025, after enduring many years of a long, devastating struggle with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Jeff’s battle with such an evil affliction was harrowing and relentless, but it cannot overcome the love and joy he brought to all of our lives. We feel a profound sadness in our hearts knowing we’ve lost a husband, dad, bapa, brother, and friend, but we find peace and comfort knowing he is finally at peace from the unforgiving disease.

Jeff was born in Salt Lake City on March 23, 1956, to parents John Kenneth Gillette and Viola Olafson Wall Gillette (both deceased). He was raised in Tooele, Utah, where he was actively involved in baseball and football, playing both sports at Tooele High School. After his high school graduation, Jeff spent two years playing catcher for Utah Technical College (Utah Valley University). Throughout the entirety of his life, he would fondly reflect on the happiness he derived from sports, often remarking that those two years playing catcher were some of the best times of his life.

Before he went on to graduate from the University of Utah with a B.S. in Accounting, Jeff spent his college years working as a groundskeeper at Derk’s Field for the Salt Lake Gulls. This was Jeff’s self-professed dream job: getting paid to mow lawns and watching baseball games for free. The impact of this job could be seen for the rest of his life—Jeff’s front and back yards were always mowed with pin-straight precision, the neatest mow lines on the block, regardless of the fact that he never purchased a self-propelled mower.

After graduating from college, he was hired by the Department of Defense at Tooele Army Depot. Jeff retired after 30 years of federal service in 2014 as Chief Financial Officer, the same position his father held many decades earlier. Razor-sharp and with an analytical mind, Jeff loved his job and had great respect for his colleagues and the Department of the Army as a whole.

Jeff met Patrice Jensen when both resided in apartments at Old Farm in Salt Lake City, and married the love of his life on March 21, 1981. The couple went on to have three children over the next decade: Paige, Cortlan (deceased), and Morgan; his children brought immense happiness and adventure to his life.

Jeff was a lifelong BYU football fan; he began attending games at a very young age with his father, Gobe, and his brother, Scott. Jeff was a season ticket holder for more than 40 years and a proud Cougar Club member for the majority of those years. Until Alzheimer’s Disease incapacitated him, he could recite nearly every player, their jersey number, position, years they played, and the high school they graduated from. A true-blue Coug, Jeff attended as many Holiday Bowls as possible and passed this love of sports onto his daughter, Paige. Attending football games was a tradition Paige and Jeff shared for the majority of her life; he loved sharing his sports knowledge with her, and Paige grew to be nearly as big a sports fan as he.

Morgan and her dad bonded over other past times; both despised school and enjoyed spending their time at home rather than confined between the walls of a classroom. When five-year-old Morgan would cry and insist on skipping school for the day, Jeff was much more lenient than her mom, and the two could often be found most Fridays of her kindergarten year at home, watching Tombstone or The Fugitive, rather than at school.

Jeff loved his family over everything. He was devastated by the loss of his only son, Cortlan, and dedicated his life to ensuring the happiness and security of his daughters. He loved spending every moment possible with his girls. From the moment they were born, he worked and saved for his daughters’ futures and saw one of his biggest dreams fulfilled when both graduated from college debt-free.

In addition to the BYU Cougars and his family, Jeff loved to participate in the Tooele golf leagues; vacations with his family; golfing with his son-in-laws, Alex and Anthony; fishing in Montana with his dad, brother, and later on in life, friend, Doug Wolter; exercising at the local recreation center; walking; early morning McDonalds coffee with his brother, Scott; and his white Toyota Tacoma. Jeff adored and admired his older sister, Charlene, who passed away in 2021, and his hero, his older brother, who passed away in 2024.

Jeff is survived by his wife, Patrice Jensen Gillette; his daughters Paige Wingeier (Alex); Morgan Del Grosso (Anthony); and his two adorable grandkids, Hudson (7) and Lennox (3). He would have been the best grandpa if he’d only been given the chance; unfortunately, he was cheated out of this experience by the disease that defined the last few years of his life. He is also survived by sister-in-law, Janet Gillette, brother and sister-in-law, Steve and Sue Jorgensen, and by his lifelong best friend, Bob Stringham (Sue).

Jeff will be remembered for his love and devotion to his family, his love for his dogs Lexie and Pearl (both deceased), his sense of humor, his love for sweet treats, and Diet Coke.

Our heartfelt thanks to Copper Creek Memory Care and Ovation Hospice (Rachel), who provided so much comfort, patience, and love to Jeff, even when he was flipping them the bird and calling them many colorful obscenities. We are grateful for you all and the work you do.

Jeff always said he didn’t want a big event when he died. In his own words: “Put me in the ground and throw on the dirt.” There will be a private graveside service, and his final resting place will be next to his infant son at Valley View Memorial Park.

Alzheimer’s ultimately took away Jeff’s mind, spirit, and life. We hope for a cure, as no person or family should have to go through such tremendous suffering. If you would like to support Alzheimer’s, please make a donation to curealz.org.

We can only imagine the long-awaited and loving reunion with his son, Cortlan, and his other family members. The Gillettes knew how to argue, and we are pretty certain the earthly arguments continued to the other side with his dad and brother.

Thanks for always taking care of us, Dad. We love and will miss you forever.