Jerry Leo Taylor

Jerald (Jerry) Leo Taylor, born August 29, 1944, in Provo, Utah, passed away peacefully on January 27, 2024. He was the third child of Garth Sanford Taylor and Naomi Marie Miller, with siblings Glen Sanford, Larry Kent, Alan Garth, and Janet Marie. Jerry was very close to his siblings growing up and always considered his brother Larry to be his best friend. He grew up in Orem and Edgemont, Utah, and enjoyed riding horses, driving sporty cars, and playing basketball with his siblings and friends. He graduated from Orem High School in 1962 and later served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Alaskan-Canadian Mission where he learned to serve and love others as well as further developing his passion for rugged and beautiful country.  

Jerry enrolled at BYU for a semester before being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1966. After basic training, he was deployed to Vietnam, where he served until 1968, then continued in the Army for another year stateside. He returned home to attend BYU where he studied criminal justice and business management. He enjoyed western dancing and it was at such an event that he met Karen Dee Crawford, or as many know her, “KD.” They had a whirlwind romance and became engaged a week after they met. After a very nervous interview with her career-military father, he received permission to and married KD in the Manti Temple on June 1, 1971. Jerry and KD wasted no time starting their family and beginning in 1972 welcomed their four children over the next eight years: Jason Garth, Marissa Ann, Shane Grant, and Mindi Kaye. Jerry referred to early parenthood as “an exciting adventure, that was full of spit-up, crying and tantrums, and occasionally some of the same from the children.”

Jerry graduated from BYU and worked in retail a short time before joining the Utah Highway Patrol. He was stationed in several small cities in Utah, before being hired by Utah Adult Probation and Parole. At this time, the Taylors decided to settle in Elk Ridge, Utah for the spectacular views and immediately realized the place also came with amazing neighbors. Jerry and KD have loved their place in Elk Ridge for the last 42 years.  Jerry consistently rose in rank to eventually reach the pinnacle of his career goals as Regional Administrator of one of the largest regions in the state.  He retired from the State of Utah in 2002, having been the recipient of a Distinguished Service Medal and Merit of Honor Award for his outstanding service.

Jerry served faithfully and joyfully in various church callings including Bishop, Counselor, High Counselor, and senior missionary. He and KD served two full-time senior missions in Oregon, and Utah. His passion for the outdoors stayed with him throughout his life as he enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing and going for sightseeing drives. Whenever he or anyone else was having a tough time, he knew getting out to see God’s beautiful country was always good medicine.  Besides spending time with his family, whom he adored, Jerry loved reading church books and western novels, and watching uplifting movies. He was an avid runner most of his life and a talented basketball player with a picturesque jumpshot.   He was also a big sports fan of any sport his children or grandchildren played, and he especially loved watching BYU basketball and football. He was known for his dynamic storytelling, particularly fishing and hunting stories, contagious laughter, bear hugs, unbounded generosity, and uncompromising faith. He spent much of his time doing many large and small acts of service and was known to many local food servers as the gentleman with a quick laugh who leaves a generous tip.  Overall, Jerry will be remembered as hard-working and faithful at home and at church, as enjoying life and seeing the humor in it all, and as being diligently devoted to his family, friends, and to the Savior. 

Jerry L Taylor is survived by his beloved wife, KD, of 52 years, their four children and spouses Jason and Melinda, Marissa and Frank, Shane and Kristal, Mindi and Greg, 15 grandchildren, two grand daughters-in-law, two great-grandchildren, one brother, one sister, many nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters-in-law and a host of friends. He was welcomed into his heavenly home by his parents, two brothers, a niece and a nephew and parents- in-law. 

A viewing will be on Friday, February 2, 2024 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Elk Ridge 1^st Ward, 259 East Alpine Drive, Elk Ridge. Funeral services for Jerry will be on Saturday, February 3, 2024 at 10:30 am at the church with a viewing one hour prior to the service. Jerry will be laid to rest at Memorial Lakeview Mortuary & Cemetery, 1640 East Lakeview Drive, Bountiful. Please share your memories with his family.