Gary Hunter Hilton

Gary Hunter Hilton, 72, of Lindon Utah, passed away surrounded by loved ones Friday November 7th 2025. He was born on a kitchen table on July 26, 1953 in Granite Utah. He loved the many adventures of life as a young boy, but one thing he really didn't love growing up was weeding the garden!
As a young boy around ten years old, he met Kent Hilton in his grade school class. They became good friends and remained friends throughout high school. As high school was nearing an end, Gary began questioning the religion he had been raised in. He realized it wasn't a religion that he wanted to be involved in and disagreed strongly with some of its tenets. Gary and Kent went on the senior trip that year together to the Little Sahara sand dunes and ended up stuck in the desert alone in a car with a broken starter motor. This experience of figuring out how to fix the car and get back to where they needed to be was a significant bonding experience. It was there that they became so close that it started to feel like they had the special relationship that brothers do.
Gary talked to Kent about his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and Kent explained that there were missionaries who could teach him. He was not immediately persuaded. After careful consideration though, he told Kent that he would like to meet with them. The discussions progressed very quickly and he was baptized. Kent left on a mission for the church and while he was gone, Gary moved in with Kent's family. A year after his baptism, he was called on a mission to the Kansas Missouri Mission. He loved his mission. He learned so much about life and the gospel that he loved so much. He celebrated his first Christmas and Halloween there. He made many friends with companions, those he taught, and his mission president and his wife. He had friendships from his mission which remained even until he passed.
As Gary returned from his mission, he knew he wanted to be sealed to a family for time and all eternity and also so that his wife and children would know an eternal extended family. He approached the Hilton's about adopting him at age 21 and they were overjoyed to have him join their family. Allen Eugene Hilton and Ruth Patten Hilton officially became his parents in 1975. Ruth told him that she had always wanted a boy with big brown eyes! And Kent, his best friend, really did become his forever brother! He also gained 5 other new siblings! Allen, Jeanette, Sue, Joe, and Terry. The Hilton family took him in as a young adult and loved him as their own. He remained very close to his parents and siblings throughout his life.
In January 1975, he met the love of his life, Kengie Kay Jones of Otto Wyoming, in a social dance class at Brigham Young University. He said, "She was the cutest girl on campus." They were married on June 25th 1975 in the Salt Lake Temple. Kengie told Gary that "she loved babies" and she meant it! They became the most incredible parents to eleven children. Alona, Kendra, Kimberli, Shane, Mindy, Tyler, Jacob, Analynn, Jared, Joseph, and Sarah. They also have 37 grandchildren. They were so in love and always deeply honored and respected each other. Their marriage was one for the ages!
Gary was a very devoted father. He was involved in all of his children's lives and worked so hard to teach them how to be of great character and to fervidly love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He loved the outdoors and whenever he could make it, he was in the mountains fishing, hiking, and hunting. He hunted with his sons, his son-in-law, and father and brothers. For several years, he flew into the great lakes of Canada and fished there. All of his fishing dreams came true in Canada! He always had crazy stories to tell of these adventures! Some of his favorite moments were spent camping with his family. There is just something magical about sitting around the campfire with those you love. Nothing compares to it!
He used to tell his kids "tall tales". He would say, "when I was in the Army " or "when I was a little boy (or girl) " and then proceed to tell them what he would do in the situation they were in, always the right thing or even a silly thing, to teach them. They all, at one point or another, thought that he was really in the Army. He wasn't though and he was definitely never a little girl! He had the best sense of humor!
Most importantly, he taught his children how to love and respect their mother. He was completely devoted to her and he protected and loved her fiercely! He was an example to his sons of how to treat women and to his daughters of how they should be loved and respected. Kengie was truly the most important person and relationship in his life, second only to God. We absolutely know that the hardest part about leaving this life for him, was leaving her.
Gary and Kengie spent most of their married life in Cedar Hills Utah. Gary had always wanted to live in the country and he kind of had to be dragged out of Coalville Utah where they had been living to Cedar Hills in August 2000, but he soon fell in love with it and the people they were neighbors to. It was soon after he moved there that he was called to be the first bishop of the Cedar Hills 9th ward. He was truly beloved there, they were both truly beloved there! It was so hard to leave when they moved to Lindon in February 2023, but these two just instantly become everyone's friends wherever they go and they have developed cherished friendships in Lindon too.
Gary loved the BYU Cougars really loved them! He loved cheering for both the football and the basketball teams. Football was his favorite though! All of his children and Kengie can tell stories about the jump scares that would happen as he would get so excited for a big play or a touchdown or when he knew the ref was wrong! He taught some of his children to love it as much he did and now they have the same addiction and their children are having the jump scares! One thing is for sure, he will be cheering even louder from heaven for his Cougs now!
He graduated from BYU in retail management, but spent over 45 years in the insurance industry as either an agent, broker, or both. He worked up until he couldn't anymore. He made so many friendships with those he met throughout his career and many of those became life long friends.
Gary was always busy and such a doer. The joke in the home was that Kengie needed a leash so that she could keep track of the man! The invention of cell phones was revolutionary for her because then she could just call and find out where he was tinkering or had found the next project to do. Getting him to relax and just sit by a campfire was a real test for him! He could hardly do it! The last few years of his life were very difficult as he battled multiple strokes and Parkinson's. He had so many things left that he wanted to do with Kengie and yet, he was forced to sit still. That time together was still precious though. Beautiful memories were made and priceless conversations had.
Gary is survived by his wife Kengie Kay Hilton and his children Alona Kay Reynolds (Aaron), Kendra Ruth Bullinger (Shawn), Kimberli Sue Hughes (Christopher), Shane Kent Hilton (Megan), Gary Tyler Hilton (Emily), Jacob Kenneth Hilton (Shannon), Analynn MackPrang (Chris), Jared Allen Hilton (Lauren), Joseph Eugene Hilton, Sarah Elizabeth Harmon (Alec). He is also survived by his 37 grandchildren. He is survived by his siblings, Allen Eugene Hilton (Randalin), Jeanette Hilton Pratt (John), Kent Robert Hilton (Karen), Susan Hilton Wood (Ken), Joseph Talmage Hilton (Claudia),
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Mindy Lee Fowlke (Shane), his parents, and his brother John Terry Hilton (Karen).
Both the viewing and funeral will be held at 56 East 600 North Lindon, UT 84042. There will be a viewing on Thursday November 13th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The viewing prior to the funeral will be 9:30-10:30 with the funeral starting at 11:00. He will be interned in the Lindon City Cemetery at 600 North 200 East, Lindon, UT. For those unable to attend the services and graveside, a Zoom broadcast has been made available: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85307795996
Meeting ID: 853 0779 5996