Gary Fitzgerald

Gary Fitzgerald

1935 ~ 2026

Clement Gary Fitzgerald, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on January 3, 2026, in Orem, Utah, at the age of 90. He was born on July 9, 1935, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Clement Wadsworth Fitzgerald and Florence Sharp Fitzgerald.

Gary was raised in Draper and Crescent, Utah, where he worked closely with his father on the family farm. Those formative years instilled in him a lifelong work ethic, a love of building and fixing things, and a deep appreciation for learning by doing-lessons he would later pass on to his own children and grandchildren.

He attended Crescent Elementary School and Draper Junior High and graduated from Jordan High School in 1953. An accomplished student, Gary excelled in drama, music, and debate. He attended the University of Utah, interrupting his studies to serve a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the West Central States Mission from 1955 to 1957. His missionary service provided a spiritual foundation for his entire life. He returned to the University of Utah to complete his education, graduating with honors in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Finance. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and Beta Gamma Sigma honorary business society and later graduated with honors from Pacific Coast Banking School.

In 1959 Gary married Garna Holbrook and their marriage in the Salt Lake Temple is their treasure for eternity. Their marriage was the foundation of a life devoted to faith, family, and service. Together they raised five children: Tana, David, Steven, Daniel, and Melinda.

Gary's professional career included work with First Security Bank and Granite National Bank in Salt Lake City, as well as Harris Trust and Savings Bank in Chicago. After returning to Utah, he used his finance skills at several aviation companies, both fixed wing and helicopter. He enjoyed getting and using his private pilot's license. Near the end of his career, he managed several small businesses across a variety of industries.

Throughout his entire adult life, Gary served faithfully in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His service included numerous leadership and teaching positions, including serving as Bishop in his home ward and at Brigham Young University, Branch President at the Provo Missionary Training Center, and four times as a Bishopric Counselor. Gary and Garna also served a combined ten years as Church service missionaries. They held a full-time, seven-days-a-week calling for three years as Supervisors of hosting at the Conference Center on Temple Square, where they oversaw approximately 600 part-time service missionaries. They also served four years as part-time hosts at the Conference Center, two years as hosts at the Provo Missionary Training Center for senior missionaries, and one year as family history missionaries.

As a family, Gary and Garna lived in Salt Lake City; Northbrook, Illinois; Holladay; Provo; and American Fork, Utah. One of Gary's greatest joys was the rustic family cabin they built in Woodland, Utah-a place of refuge and connection for more than forty years, where children and grandchildren learned to work, gather, feel the spirit of family, and appreciate God's natural world.

Gary is survived by his beloved wife, Garna; his children, Tana Cook (Matt), David (Melody), Steven (Jennifer), Daniel (Kelli), and Melinda; as well as 24 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, all of whom were the legacy and joy of his life.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Kathleen and Paula, and brother Michael.

Funeral services for Gary will be held on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 11:00 am in the American Fork 38th Ward Chapel located at, 270 North 900 East, American Fork, Utah. Family and friends are invited to attend a visitation on Saturday morning from 9:30-10:30 am prior to service at the church. Interment will follow at the Salt Lake City Cemetery located at, 200 North 'N' Street Salt Lake City, Utah.

To view the service online, please visit:

https://zoom.us/j/94378525917?pwd=KOPYOHBJdFRnhbkQvyWaaow2MbZIOr.1

Gary was deeply grateful for the blessings of his life and for his faith in a loving Heavenly Father. He honored God, his family, and those who went before him through a life of quiet devotion, service, and love.