Don Lee Millburn

Don Lee Millburn, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, passed away peacefully on October 17, 2026, at the age of 92, leaving behind a profound legacy of hard work and deep faith.

Born on July 24, 1934, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Frank Branch Millburn and Bertha Freida Aste Millburn, he was the oldest of seven siblings.

Don’s commitment to service and education shaped his early years. After graduating from East High School, he attended Brigham Young University for two years, from 1952 to 1954. From 1955 to 1957, he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was split between the East Central States Mission headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Western States Mission, headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Following his mission, Don was inducted into the United States Army at Fort Douglas in 1957. He completed basic training at Fort Carson, Colorado; medical supply training at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, and Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and spent 17 months stationed in Kaiserslautern, Germany, at the Einsiedlerhof Medical Depot. He later served four years in the Army Reserve.

In 1959, Don married Anita Eleanor Leistner in Toledo, Ohio, and they were later sealed in the Draper Temple. Together, they were blessed with three children and a family that eventually grew to include 14 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren; they later divorced in 1975. In 1977, Don married Sydney Jean Lambourne. They were later sealed in the Dallas Temple in 1997.

Don worked hard all his life, maintaining an extensive and varied career. His early grocery retail career included management roles with Safeway and, later, a position as store manager at Alpha Beta. He also worked in the mining sector with Central Nevada Drilling and Mining, and later transitioned into sales as a regional representative for (UCA) Utah Cooperative Association (PAX Co.), a distributor of specialized lawn care and agricultural products. For the final 15 years of his career, he worked in the grocery and food distribution industry as vice president of purchasing and operations for McLane Company. Until his retirement in 1999, he was director of sales for Gourmet Foods, a distributor of specialty foods in Houston, Texas, where he resided. He returned to Utah after retirement and, true to his active nature, never slowed down. Instead, he pursued ventures in real estate for several more years.

A deeply faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Don found happiness in the countless hours he spent studying and reading the scriptures. Later in life, he found his greatest joy and fulfillment in temple service, cherishing the opportunity to serve both as a patron and an ordinance worker at the Jordan River and Draper temples. At the Draper Temple, he dedicated years of service as an assistant coordinator and veil supervisor from 2000 to 2013 and faithfully continued performing sacred ordinances for the remainder of his life.

Outside of his career and church service, Don had a deep love for the outdoors; sharing a lifetime of hunting and fishing adventures alongside his brothers, sons, and close friends. Over the years, his passion for the sport expanded into fly fishing, ice fishing, and countless days spent at Strawberry Reservoir. While he loved the activity itself, he treasured even more the time it allowed him to spend together with his sons and grandchildren.

Don's legacy of dedication, integrity, and love for his family and faith will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who were blessed to know him.

He is survived by his wife, Sydney Jean Millburn; his children, John Kevin Millburn (Camille), James Eric Millburn (Julia), Shelly Lynn Eisa; and his stepchildren, Linda G. Wilson (Deward), and Malcolm Bradford Pike; his 14 grandchildren and 18 great- grandchildren; and his six brothers and sisters, Merlyn Larson, Gary (Mary Lou) Millburn, Paul (Sharon) Millburn, Mary (Steve) Butters, Frankie (Mark) Sonntag, and (Maylene) Millburn.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Bertha Millburn; his brother Mark Millburn; his stepdaughter, Wendy Lee Anderson; his stepson, Todd Randall Ehrlich; and his brother-in-law, Sander Larson.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday, October 23, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Memorial Mountain View Mortuary, located at 3115 Bengal Boulevard, Cottonwood Heights, Utah 84121. A private viewing for family and close friends will take place at 1:30 p.m. prior to the services.