Glenn Goff Obituary

Glenn David Goff (lovingly, known as Dave, Dad and Grandpa) was born on April 13, 1949 to Glenn Wesley Goff and Frankie May Imel Goff in Cortez, Colorado. He passed away on November 21, 2021 at his home in Lehi, Utah after a courageous and valiant fight with cancer surrounded by loved ones on both sides of the veil at the age of 72.

Dave graduated from Montezuma Cortez High School in Cortez, Colorado. He later received a Recreation Business degree from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Next, he received a degree in Elementary Education from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, and a graduate degree from New Mexico Highland University in Special Education.

Dave met the love of his life Joy Decker around Thanksgiving of 1973. She was going to Fort Lewis College at the time. He had completed his education at BYU and had worked for two years but decided to come back home to Cortez to take a break from the big city. Dave offered to drive Joy to Durango to help her register for her winter classes and to her surprise he registered for all her classes except for one he had already taken! His determination paid off as they were married on June 6th of that year.

Dave taught for a total of 40 years which included music K-6, high school band and choir, special education, and teaching 3-6th grade. He spent time teaching in Cortez, Colorado, and the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. In Utah, he taught at Mountainville Academy in Alpine and Ascent Academy in Lehi and South Jordan. He loved teaching and his students loved him and told him on countless occasions in person and in letters how he had made a positive impact on their lives. He went beyond teaching just content, to teaching and loving each individual student and his students knew and felt that.

Dave had no acquaintances, only conversations, hundreds of them. And once a conversation had been engaged, a true friendship was born. Dave was loved by all that knew him. He loved "people" and was very personable and open to whoever he met. He didn't judge anyone regardless of their station or beliefs in life. He never knew a stranger, and everyone was his friend and that includes dozens of "best" friends. He was able to easily strike up a conversation with anyone he saw. As a matter of a fact, he loved meeting new people and would usually initiate conversation first.

His love of music was an inherited trait coming from a line of gifted musicians. His first love musically was his guitar then the saxophone. He spent many hours of practice mastering those gifts. Throughout his life, he participated in various bands from marching bands, jazz bands, rock and roll bands to even country bands. He participated in choirs and had a beautiful tenor voice. His love of music carried over to his professional career as a music teacher and for a time he even had his own music store. When time came for him to close the music store he continued to tune pianos and repair musical instruments for many years. He even built violins, dulcimers and a guitar.

Dave spent his childhood in Cortez, Colorado. He rode horses, helped his mother with gardening and made many fond memories with his family and friends. He always worked hard making extra money as a little boy taking care of yards then picked up more work as he got older as a stocker in a grocery store. Some of his fondest childhood memories were his adventures in scouting.

The love of the outdoors, embedded in him early in his life from scouts, stayed with him throughout his life. He loved hunting, camping, hiking, fishing and off-roading in a motorcycle or a side by side. Throughout his journey with cancer he continued to enjoy and fit in his many adventures outdoors! The highlight of all these adventures was getting together with his children and grandchildren to camp and sit around the campfire, guitar in his hands and sing campfire songs and he told plenty of stories too!

Dave loved woodworking and building crafts from rocking horses, doll houses to even a canoe. He also enjoyed doing stained glass, leather crafting and even making some jewelry. He taught a jewelry arts and crafts class while teaching on the Navajo Nation. The first year Dave was diagnosed with cancer, he passed the time by building wooden toys to give his grandchildren for Christmas. He always kept himself busy and never dwelled on his health status.

Dave was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He had many various callings over the years but seemed to enjoy his callings as a scout leader the most. He had a special scout leader that provided lots of fun activities that made lasting memories for him as a boy and he wanted to give positive experiences to other boys, as well.

Dave loved his four children, sixteen grandchildren and his wife. They were always a priority in his life. He made each child and grandchild feel like they were his favorite. He planned fun activities to do with them, attended their concerts and games and joked with them, they all felt his continual love and support for them. His positive attitude and strong testimony of the gospel throughout his life and especially through his rough times was such an example to everyone around him. He was truly loved by many and will be missed greatly. We are so thankful he was a part of our lives and so blessed to know we will be together again.

Dave is survived by his wife Joy Decker Goff, children Heather Goff Trane and husband Brent Trane, Sherri Goff Climent and husband Manual Climent, Jeremy Goff and wife Katiana and Nathaniel Goff and wife Jessica. He is also survived by 16 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. He is preceded in death by his father Glenn Wesley Goff, his mother Frankie May Imel Goff and his sister Frankie Lucille Goff Smith.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, November 27th, at 11:00 am, at the North Lake 2nd Ward, 828 South Center Street, Lehi, Utah, where a Viewing will be held prior to services form 10-10:45am. Interment in Lehi City Cemetery, 1525 North 600 West, Lehi, Utah. This service will also be available live online at https://youtu.be/E9orVG49k7w

Funeral Directors: Utah Valley Mortuary. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.uvfuneral.com.