Derral (Kent) Draper was a man of many talents, interests, and accomplishments. He was born on June 12, 1938, in Ogden, Utah, the oldest child of Derral Charles and Virginia LaVon Toone Draper. He loved his parents and his four sisters, Bonnie Jacobs, Beverly Rankin, Jill Eves, and Gaylene Croxford, and their families.

Together, Kent and his sisters were raised on a small family farm in Sunset, Utah, where Kent learned to love gardening, in particular growing vegetables, red tulips, and other beautiful flowers. Any unproductive part of his yard was a great space for planting a tomato plant. Kent had an apron that said, "I grew the dinner," which he often said, as he harvested vegetables he planted and took care of throughout the summer. He loved to share what he grew with the neighbors. He was also very conscientious of his yard, keeping his lawn in weed-free beauty, mowed to the perfect height, throughout the season. He loved to plant trees, in particular birch and maple trees.

From the time he was a child, Kent loved new opportunities and exploring what the world had to offer. He truly lived life to its fullest. He joined the Army after the Korean War ended, after his high school graduation. He served his commitment in the Army Reserve, where he became a cook and "learned to feed an Army."

While feeding men of the Army, Kent developed a love for cooking, eventually developing the skills of a gourmet cook. The kitchen was his domain, and he and his family enjoyed inviting many to the Draper home for wonderful meals. He especially enjoyed making Japanese Teriyaki, Poppyseed Cake, Swiss Steak, and fileting and grilling the trout or salmon he caught himself. He made every Sunday's family dinner of roast beef and mashed potatoes and gravy a time-honored tradition. He passed on his love of cooking and enjoying getting to know people over a good meal to his children.

In his early twenties, Kent served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sydney-Melbourne, Australian Mission. He maintained a love for Australia and New Zealand and returned to visit those countries numerous occasions throughout his life.

Upon returning from his mission, Kent married the "girl down the street," Glenda Jean Bennett, on November 17, 1961, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They were married for 62 years and had four children. Kent loved and devotedly cared for his beautiful wife throughout their entire marriage. They enjoyed many adventures together, including traveling the world, attending Jazz games, and watching movies at home. Kent selflessly and lovingly provided for his wife and family, and always demonstrated a love for hard work and being productive. He set a great example for his children of the importance of work as well as enjoying life in the process.

Kent was a faithful servant of Jesus Christ and loved the Gospel. He served in many callings in the LDS Church. He was the first bishop of the Washington Terrace Twelfth Ward and served many years as a High Council member and as the Executive Secretary to the Stake Presidency. He faithfully taught his children the Gospel and was excited to see his children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren grow up and serve missions for the church. Kent always had a strong sense of the value of "community," and manifested his own contribution to that community through his church service as well as membership in the Utah Sons of Pioneers and support of other worthy organizations.

In addition to church callings, Kent was a devoted servant of those in need, teaching his children the importance of donating money and time to the unsheltered and others who needed help. He served locally at food banks and homeless shelters, as well as serving those in need internationally in Nicaragua and India. He was always very modest about his service, teaching that true service should be done privately and without need for self-benefit.

Part of teaching his children the Gospel was the weekly Monday "Family Night." Tony's Pizza was often the destination for the dinner that began Family Night and Kent especially enjoyed his pizza with Cherry Coke. After eating at Tony's, the teaching began at home. Before several of the Draper children learned to play the piano, Kent knew how to play only two hymns on the piano for the opening song. The entire family came to know "Israel, Israel God is Calling," and "How Firm a Foundation" very well.

Kent enjoyed other hobbies throughout his life such as stamp and coin collecting. He brought home a matchbook from every place he traveled and filled a ten gallon bottle with the matchbooks. Kent loved music of diverse genres, and "Your Cheating Heart," and "Sound of Silence" were among his favorites. Kent loved to golf. He loved to go on long walks around the community, enjoying waving and talking to the neighbors as he walked.

Kent was known for his great work ethic, his business and marketing acumen, and his ability to see and develop opportunity. He could figure out how to monetize about any opportunity. Kent worked at Hill Air Force Base as a young man in the early era of computers. He sold the first warehouse-sized computers for years for Sperry Univac, always winning awards for his sales performance and working his way up to management positions in Utah. Kent was on the forefront of information technology, and his abilities and career changed as the computer industry changed.

Kent was always enchanted by travel and was driven by a strong sense of determination and curiosity. He left the computer industry and took his understanding of technology and started his own travel agency with his wife, Glenda, and later his daughter, Angela. The three of them, together with many loved clients, friends, and family, saw the world together. He was well-loved throughout the world, as he made friends wherever he traveled. He loved people and saw the beauty in the many different places and cultures which he visited. He believed the best way to understand a culture was to experience it oneself.

Kent was an avid outdoorsman, and the Draper family enjoyed many weeknights and Saturdays on the boat with friends or relatives along for the fun on an area lake or at Flaming Gorge. Kent loved to camp, and together with the Jacobs, took the family on many outdoors adventures around the intermountain West and California.

Kent was an accomplished big game and bird hunter, and an incredible fly and deep-sea fisherman. He loved to hunt deer. He hunted pheasant near Willard Bay and went to Alberta to hunt geese. He knew where to catch huge trout in small streams or rivers throughout the West. Additionally, Kent loved to go to Alaska and catch salmon and tuna or whatever else was biting. On one occasion, his wife unpacked his luggage upon his return from Alaska expecting dirty laundry, and instead found fish on dry ice which he packed and brought home for the family to enjoy eating.

Throughout his adult life, Kent loved to ski, and would bundle up the kids and take them every Saturday throughout the Winter for lessons and a day with him. He became a regular senior skier at SnowBasin after his retirement, and enjoyed all of the friends he made and saw on an almost daily basis. He loved the beautiful views and good conversations on the lift with friends and eating soup in the lodge.

Kent was a wonderful husband, father, and friend. He had such a passion for life and a witty sense of humor. His enthusiasm for life and all that he taught us will be remembered and passed down through his ever-growing family.

Kent is survived by his wife Glenda, his children, Alyson Draper, Bradley and Tricia Draper, Angela and Brian Clark Hughes, and Glen and Mary Ford Draper, and his bonus family members, Douglas and Betsy Telleson. At the time of his death, Kent had 18 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, with two new great-granddaughters expected within the next couple of weeks. He is survived by his four sisters, Bonnie Jacobs, Beverly Rankin, Jill Eves, and Gaylene Croxford and her husband, Bob Croxford.

Kent's funeral services will be held Saturday, December 16, 2023, at Leavitt's Mortuary at 836 – 36th Street, Ogden, Utah. A viewing will be from 9-10:30 a.m.. The funeral will begin at 11:00 a.m.. Kent will be buried in the Kaysville City Cemetery following the services. The funeral will be livestreamed for those unable to personally attend.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate your considering a donation of time or money to The Lantern House of Ogden, a shelter and soup kitchen for those in need where our father loved to volunteer.