Gary Braithwaite

August 29, 1935 - February 29, 2020

Five weeks minus one day is the time it took for Gary to complete his mortal existence and reunite with his sweetheart, Marcia, in paradise. He passed peacefully at home on Saturday, February 29, 2020. Gary Victor Braithwaite was born on August 29, 1935 in Long Beach, Los Angeles, California to Victor Braithwaite and Eldora Alice York Braithwaite. The marriage was short lived and he and his mom moved in with his Grandma and Grandpa York in Santaquin, Utah. While living with them he learned how to live off the land and developed a deep and abiding love for his grandparents. He was a shy boy and loved his mama. In 1943, when he was 8 years old, his mom married Robert Calvin Childs, and they were sealed as a forever family in the Manti Temple. He is survived by his sisters Marlene Argyle, Lynda Broadbent, Judy Pierson, Pam Valladolid and brother Mark Braithwaite. Gary married his sweetheart, Marcia Francom in the Salt Lake Temple on June 7, 1956. They were blessed with five children, Becky Black, Annette Cardon, Vickie Case, Carol Hunt and their long awaited son, Richard Rolla Braithwaite. They have 20 grandchildren, 2 of which preceded him in death and 37 great-grandchildren with 2 more on the way. Although he began his life in California, he lived most of his life in Utah. He and Marcia spent most of their years in Utah County with a few years in the Salt Lake area. While living in Midvale he started up his own company and named it Home Appliance Service. Marcia was his bookkeeper and answered phones while he went into customers’ homes to repair their large appliances: like washers, dryers and dishwashers. He longed to get back to Utah County where they eventually bought their home in Orem. He got a new job working for BYU where he worked on the cafeteria equipment and maintained the machinery at the Marriott Center, Spanish Fork farm and Aspen Grove. He was promoted, and became the supervisor for many years until he retired. Gary learned to play the trumpet. He tried the piano for a bit, but didn’t like that at all. Most of all, he loved to play the harmonica; which love came as a child listening to his Grandpa York play his harmonica. He was a great fixer of all things. He was always found doing a project at home, in the yard or at one of his children’s homes. His spare time was spent camping, fishing and hunting. He served in the church in many different capacities. He served in the Young Men’s program, Elders Quorum, Bishopric, High Counselor and as a Bishop for a BYU student ward. With his sweetheart, he served a mission in Nauvoo, Illinois; where once again he was in charge of keeping things fixed up and in top condition. The thing he was not prepared for was when he found out that all the senior missionaries had to put on a play in the evenings; which included singing, dancing and acting. He was NOT happy about having to be on the stage. The shy kid in him came back pretty quickly. There were a lot of songs to learn and the director, having pity on him, told him to just stand up there and mouth the word watermelon over and over again, and nobody would ever know that he was not singing. When they returned home from their mission to Nauvoo, they signed up to be missionaries at the Conference Center in Salt Lake; where they gave guided tours. He lived to serve and served to love. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, March 7th, at 11:30 am, at the Cascade 6th Ward, 400 North 400 East, Orem, Utah, where a Viewing will be held prior to services from 10:00 to 11:15 am. Interment in Santaquin City Cemetery. Funeral Directors: Utah Valley Mortuary.