Gordon Neil Springer

Click below to listen to the funeral service. Available until November 18, 2016.

Gordon Neil Springer, a man with a gentle, loving, compassionate, and happy heart, died August 14, 2016, at the age of 77, in Salt Lake City, Utah from complications due to cancer.

Born December 6, 1938, in Salt Lake City, Utah to George F. and Lucile Young Springer, the oldest of 11 children.  Lived his entire life in the Salt Lake area.  Worked in his father's tamale shop from a young age into his teen years.  Served a 2 ½ year LDS mission to the Netherlands, birthplace of his paternal grandparents.  Served in the Army and Air Force National Guards.  Married Janna Fetzer Aug. 9, 1963, in the Salt Lake Temple and together they brought six children into the world.

Graduated from the University of Utah with a technical degree in Electronics and a BA degree in German.  Worked as an electronic technician for 32 years and retired from L3 Communications Corporation in 1999.

Gordon held several leadership positions in the LDS Church, but never considered himself to be a spiritual giant, although he had a strong belief in the Savior and the gospel.  He could be seen cleaning up after ward dinners, or volunteering for welfare projects.  His specialty was clerical and secretarial work and he held every clerk position in his wards, as well as some stake clerical positions.  He was a faithful home teacher and choir member.  The past several years he loved working at the Salt Lake Temple twice a week.

Gordon's secretarial skills extended to other service.  He was secretary of an irrigation company for 20 years and for the Rocky Mountain District of the Barbershop Harmony Society for 14 years.

He enjoyed music, especially vocal harmony.  He sang in various choruses, including barbershop harmony choruses - his favorite.

He loved raising vegetable gardens and was at peace while leaning on a shovel and watching irrigation water flow down the furrows.  He learned to repair many things around the house and enjoyed home improvement projects.  Other hobbies included boating with his family, running (4 marathons), playing Hand & Foot with friends every Monday, genealogy work, languages, keeping up with the news, and perusing maps.

After his retirement, Gordon and Janna served as temple missionaries in the Freiberg Germany temple, as ordinance workers in the Salt Lake Temple, and as inner city missionaries helping refugees.  His children and grandchildren frequently recruited him to help with home repairs and improvements.  He adored his family and loved doing things with them.  For years he visited his friend Bert Wilson and walked his dog twice a week, took his friend James Sipherd to the temple every week, helped his sister Nona with her house and yard, and attended to the needs of several neighbors.

Survived by his wife, Janna, children David (Julie) Springer, Teresa (Taylor) Anderson, Laurel (James) McConkie and Michelle (Jens) Jenkins, 16 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.  He is also survived by his dearest friends: his four brothers and five sisters.  Preceded in death by daughters, Sharon and Shauna, who died in infancy, and his sister Sylvia.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, August 20th, at the Valley View 1st Ward Chapel, 3900 South 2000 East, SLC, at 11:00am where friends and family may call from 7:30-9 p.m. on Friday evening,  August 19th, and from 9:30-10:45 a.m. prior to the service.  Interment will be at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 S Highland Drive, SLC.