Gaylen Turner Grover, 86, of Fort Collins, Colorado, passed away on May 21, 2025 from advanced Parkinson's Disease. A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 31, at 11:00am, at Leavitt's Mortuary & Aultorest Memorial Park,836 36th St, Ogden, UT 84403.

Gaylen was born to Dean E and Margaret Ruth Turner Grover on August 16, 1938. He was raised in Ogden, Utah and was an older brother to two sisters, Ronna and Cathy. As a boy he enjoyed idyllic stays on his grandparents' farm in East Garland, Utah, where he relished tromping barefoot through the deep grass, swimming and chasing with his cousins, and eating wild raspberries off the vine. In the outdoors Gaylen felt a spirit of freedom and adventure that would remain a wellspring throughout his life.

As a teenager he worked at a camera shop and gained skills as a photographer. He served six months of active duty in the Marine Corps and then two years as a missionary in England and Wales for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Utah State University.

On his first day on campus, he caught sight of the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen registering for classes but lost her in the crowd. When he spotted her again a week later, he worked up the courage to apply himself to winning her over, despite several other young men who were already in pursuit. He proposed many times. On June 22, 1962, Gaylen and Jill Eyre of Orem, Utah were married in the Salt Lake Temple.

After residing for a time in Mountain View, California and Connecticut, he and Jill bought the three-bedroom Spanish-style suburban house that would be their long-term family home in Cupertino, California. He and Jill had three children, Suzanne, Royce, and Nathan. In the backyard Gaylen dug a pool, built a deck, and, later, installed a hot tub, creating a small oasis where his family could enjoy the sunny California weekends together.

Over the course of his career Gaylen worked for Hewlett-Packard in their research division and as a manager of their circuit board production facility. He was VP of product development for Signatone, designing probe stations for semiconductor fabrication, and later designed assembly robots for Innovative Robotic Solutions. He served his church as a scout master, leading wilderness rescue training and supervising challenging rock climbing adventures to Yosemite and Grand Teton National Parks. He served as a bishop of the Cupertino Ward and as a stake high councilor. Known among his fellow churchgoers as an engaging speaker and colorful storyteller, Gaylen formed many life-long friendships through his membership in the church and remained a faithful, serving member throughout his life.

Gaylen had many passions. He designed and built a hang glider and was brave enough to fly it—strapped to it, he accidentally set a world record for altitude gained. He restored a 1952 MG-TD roadster, cherry red with a ragtop and checkered grille, in the garage. When he drove it around the neighborhood, he donned a floppy red hat. He kept a showy flower garden in the backyard with lavender, foxgloves, and black-eyed Susans. But his greatest passion was for his blue-eyed wife, Jill, and their three children. A fun-loving husband and father, he quickly saw the humor in most situations and had an easygoing and generous spirit. At the dinner table, he laughed and hooted as he told family stories, stories that got a little better each time he told them. He was proud of his children and expressed his love to them often.

Upon retiring, Gaylen rediscovered his youthful hobby of photography. Jill showed a talent for this, too, and off they went exploring with their cameras. From the dapper tulip beds of Holland to the surreal sculpted stonescapes of Arizona slot canyons, they experienced much of the world and its beauty together. As members of a Bay Area camera club, they challenged themselves to keep improving and took home many prizes from local and regional photo contests. While a technical mastery of photography came easily to Gaylen, what he yearned for most was emotional impact, to capture the grandeur he felt in nature and convey it to others.

Gaylen spent the last years of his life with Jill in Fort Collins, Colorado, where they enjoyed living near their son, Royce and his family, getting to spend time with grandchildren. The disabilities of late-stage Parkinson's disease were frustrating and often heartbreaking to Gaylen, but he expressed constant gratitude for the care given by Jill and his children. His warm, fun-loving smile was always there, ready to shine out for the ones he loved.

Gaylen is survived and deeply missed by his wife of nearly 63 years, Jill; his three children Suzanne (Blair), Royce (Becky), and Nathan (Courtney); his grandchildren Travis, Summer, Brighton, Carson; and his two sisters Ronna Daines and Cathy Cranney. He is preceded in death by his granddaughter, Brooklynn Grover.