Neil Varney Lamont

Neil Varney Lamont

1950 ~ 2026

LTC (Ret.) Neil Varney Lamont, age 75, passed away in his home in Highland Utah Friday, February 27, 2026, surrounded by his family.
Neil was born September 26, 1950 in Greybull Wyoming, to Neil Varney Lamont Sr. and June McIntosh Henderson. Life's struggles started early, with the untimely passing of his father when he was only 2, and his mother when he was 16. Despite leaving home at this young age, he found stability and love with family and friends, including the love of his life, Sylva Smith. They met in Burlington at the tender age of 10 and dated on and off through high school. With the Vietnam War raging, he was drafted into the United States Army right out of high school, initially working on riot squads as an MP with the military police.
After his military assignment, he returned home first attending the University of Wyoming, and ultimately trading in his long hair and beard for a BYU diploma. He and Sylva could not wait to start their journey together, and happily cruised to Las Vegas where they were hitched in the Silverbell Wedding Chapel in 1973.
Life was full of new milestones, including graduating from BYU, starting a family, and returning to the military as an officer, where he narrowed his focus to Military Intelligence. This would take his growing family to many new places, with multiple tours in Germany, and countless moves stateside. His children would each be born in different states along this journey, including two in Germany! He also spent a solo year as a recruiter in Korea, and had multiple assignments in Moscow, after becoming a Russian Specialist. He eventually became an instructor at the Command and General Staff College, working in the Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO) at Fort Leavenworth Kansas.

Life continued to present challenges, with the passing of their sweet daughter Stephanie from cystic fibrosis in 1977. He was also diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987, while in Germany. Despite this diagnosis, he continued to excel in the military for seven more years. He received repeated promotions and assignments, despite his disability, even turning down jobs working at the Pentagon and in Russia, in order to provide a more stable life for his family. After retiring from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, he was immediately called to be a Mission President in Kiev Ukraine, where he and Sylva blessed the lives of countless Ukrainian members and missionaries, before eventually settling down in their beloved Sheridan Wyoming.
Being a mission president was just one of the many service callings that Neil held in church, including serving as a bishop two times, serving in the temple, and eventually being called to be a sealer in the Billings Montana temple. This, along with years of volunteering, scouting, and being heavily involved with the Rotary Club in Sheridan highlights a life spent in the service of others.
More than anything, Neil was a husband to Sylva and father to his children. He loved his family fiercely, and everything he did was to provide a better life, and be able to spend more time with them. From being their scoutmaster, going on deep snow campouts, attending sporting and music events, and eventually becoming the greatest grandpa ever. He never sought praise or pity. He would sit in the background, with his sunglasses on, never failing to interject a bit of sarcastic humor. Even with his progressive, debilitating illness, he was the ultimate example of selfless sacrifice, humble patience and long suffering. In his final hours, his only concern was not leaving his eternal companion alone.
He will truly be missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. He is preceded in death by his father Neil, mother June, brother David (Crockett), and daughter Stephanie. He is survived by his wife Sylva, brother Burt, extended stepfamily, and his loving children Matt (Brooke), Michael, Sarah (Ryan), Taylor, Katie (Andrew), and 16 grandchildren: Noah (Kendra), Parker (Aspen), Gavin, Cameron, Sawyer, Hollyn, Rowan, Griffin, Beckett, Quinn, Jonas, James, Sloane, Nash, Cohen, and Finn.
His celebration of life will be on March 20, 2026 at 2:00pm at The Northampton House at 198 West 300 North, American Fork, Utah 84003.