Garth Leavitt

Sandy, Utah

Garth Noel Leavitt—beloved husband, father, brother, grandpa, great-grandpa, great-great-grandpa, and friend—passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 12, 2022, finally reunited with his sweetheart.

Born on October 1, 1928, in Cardston, Alberta, Canada, to Hazel Wheeler and Thomas William Leavitt, Garth grew up with a love of boxing, eventually becoming a lightweight champion in his division. He always enjoyed hunting, camping, and riding horses. He frequently traveled to his uncle’s farm in Leavitt, Alberta, once getting stranded in a snowstorm with a companion and surviving with the coal they were hauling.

He met his beloved wife, Judith Annemarie Buettner, at an October dance in Cardston. They were married three years later, on October 5, 1949, in the Cardston Alberta Temple. Together they had six children. They were married for almost 64 years, and not a day passed that he didn’t miss her since her death in 2013.

Garth earned his pilot’s license and flew with the Royal Canadian Airforce. He also worked for Remington Construction Company in Alberta, where he operated a dragline excavator.

Garth and Judy and their family of five moved to the United States in 1958, settling down in Sandy, Utah, where they then had three more children. Garth taught his children the value of hard work by his example. He studied civil engineering at Utah State University. He worked for Grolier Incorporated for almost 10 years, earning many top sales performance awards. He later began Leavitt Excavating, which he owned and operated until his retirement in 1998.

Throughout his life, he fulfilled various callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He loved serving others.

Garth enjoyed his opportunities to travel. While working for Grolier Inc., he won a trip to Paris, which he talked about up until his death. He and Judy were able to travel to Germany, where they joined their sons Corey (who had just finished his missionary service) and Rod (who was serving in the military) and then visited Judy’s family members, who lived behind the iron curtain. Later in life, he and Judy also made many memories traveling with friends and family in their motorhomes.

Garth enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, including grapes, chocolate bars, and old western movies.

Garth is survived by his children: Corey (Tericia), Rodney (Melissa), Gregory, Jeffery (Patty), Jodi (Dave) Askerlund, Lori (Rich) Judson; 28 grandchildren; 61 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great-grandchildren; his siblings Opal Hendry, Colleen Rowland, Jerry, Nina Miller, and Blake. He is preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Judy, and their firstborn, a stillborn baby girl; his daughters-in-law Marydell, Kathy, and Nelly; and his siblings Keith, Rex, Zola Herr, Lloyd Gordon “Gordie,” and Max.

The family would like to thank Garth’s many wonderful physicians and Atlas Hospice for their service.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 21, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. at the Mt. Jordan 4th Ward, 235 E. 9800 S., Sandy, UT. A viewing for family and friends will be held one hour prior to the service. Services will also be available via Zoom. Interment at Memorial Lake Hills Cemetery in Sandy, Utah.

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