Gerald Beeton

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Gerald James Beeton

1928 – 2020

Gerald James Beeton passed away on July 23, 2020 at the age of 92.  He was born on June 10, 1928 in Malad, Idaho, to James A. Beeton and Sara Lillian Jones. His youth was spent on a farm in Woodruff, Idaho, a small town close to the Utah-Idaho border. He had two older sisters and a younger brother.  They learned at an early age how to work long, hard days on the farm, helping with the wheat harvest, raising sugar beets, and caring for the animals.  He felt this helped him gain valuable experience about mechanical things and what makes them work, as well as a good work ethic, all of which served him well throughout his life.

He had a genuine love for our Savior, and chose to share that love with the people of Western Canada, serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  He married his eternal companion Shirley Rae Allen in the Manti Temple on June 26, 1952, and together they were blessed to raise seven children. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was always central to their lives.  It was evidenced in most everything they did.  They enjoyed spending time in the temple, and rarely missed a week in their 68 years together.  They served a mission in Tallahassee Florida, two Family History missions, and served in various other capacities.

He loved his country and served in the US Army as 1st Leuitenant before settling his family in Davis County, UT.

He had a great love for learning and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Arts from Utah State, a Master’s in Educational Administration from the University of Utah, did post-graduate work at BYU and Fresno State University and graduated from the Radio Institute of SLC.  He shared his love of learning and his ability to use his hands with countless students throughout Davis School District whether it was in shop class, auto mechanics, home construction, or academic classes.  He pioneered the Davis Area Vocational Center (now known as the DATC) and was the first director there.  He also enjoyed his years teaching 6th grade.

He liked to keep up on the latest technology and was often ahead of the game when it came to gadgets and new innovations.  He had a knack for figuring out how things work and applying what he learned.  His industriousness and ingenuity made life a lot more fun for the family, such as building a boat (even welding together the trailer to pull it on, and customizing skis to make it easier for kids to get up on), or the large swingset with the heavy duty glider (heavy enough to knock your teeth out if you got in the way), or the jumper he made to use with the large inner tubes from tractor tires.  The go-cart.  The puzzles and gameboards.  He could build or fix just about anything!

He was constant in his love and devotion to his sweetheart and to his family.  He demonstrated that love daily, working hard to provide for them, being willing to help in any way he could, and doing everything in his power to make sure they’d always be taken care of.  He had a tender spot for each of his children, and it only deepened as his posterity grew to 45 grandchildren, and 73 great grandchildren (and counting).  He led an exemplary life worthy of imitation as a humble and honest man of integrity, steady in his convictions, selfless in his actions, and immovable in his faith.  He was an honorable son, brother, husband, father, friend, and neighbor, and will be missed by all who knew him.

Gerald is survived by his loving wife Shirley Allen Beeton and their seven children:  Jeri Lyn (Don) Graybill, Cindy (Jack) Hansen, Dale Kent (Randi) Beeton, Valeen (Larry) Barber, Teresa (Jay) Henderson, Nancie (Greg) Pack, and Genae (Brandon) O’Brien; along with his brother, Martell Beeton of Bountiful, and is preceded in death by a stillborn daughter, Catherine Beeton, and grandson Levi Beeton.

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