Donald Bagley Jr. Obituary
We are sad to announce that on June 11, 2018, at the age of 79, Donald Bagley Jr. (Fruit Heights, Utah) passed away. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family.
He was loved and cherished by many people including: his parents, Lillian Marie (Pearson) and Donald Merle Bagley.
According to his mother, "What a mistake!" We learned that you don't buy a 16-year-old boy a car if you want to keep your sanity!" Following his 17th birthday, he presented his parents enlistment papers which they signed hoping that the Navy would provide him with the structure and discipline they felt he needed. Don thrived in the military. He was a trained parachutist and rigger and in 1958 was selected to serve as an air-sea rescue specialist with the first wintering over mission by the Navy in Antarctica, Operation Deep Freeze III. The 18-month mission was to support the scientific explorations in Antarctica as well as the Trans-Antarctic Expedition with British explorer Sir Vivian Fuchs and Sir Edmund Hillary of Mount Everest fame. The small group of sailors endured the harsh extremes of the frozen continent and learned to rely on each other to survive their ordeal. Don not only supported the historic expedition, he made history himself by completing the first parachute jump in Antarctica. Following his naval service, he was called to labor as a missionary in both the Finland and West Central States Missions. Don loved serving the Native American people from the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation in Montana. It was here that he met his future wife, Elaine Geisler, who was visiting her sister in Chinook, Montana. Following his mission, Don and Elaine reconnected while attending Weber State College in Ogden, Utah. They were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on May 31, 1963. At the time of their marriage, Don was serving as a Green Beret in the 19th Special Forces Group. The Army determined he should be an officer and, a few days after his marriage, he reported to Ft. Benning, Georgia for Officer Candidate School. A few years later, he transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve where he quickly rose through the ranks. He eventually attained the rank of Major General and commanded the 96th Army Reserve Command which encompassed seven states and over 10, 000 soldiers. After 43 years of service, Don retired from the military. He was an admired and highly-respected officer. He loved his country and dedicated his life to the preservation of freedom. With the rigors of military life and starting a new family, Don earned a degree in sociology from Weber State College. He later spent a career as a medical-surgical representative for 3M Company with responsibilities throughout the Intermountain West. Don and Elaine eventually settled in Fruit Heights, Utah where they raised their seven children on a diet of work, music, family adventures, homemade bread, and love. He cherished his family and devoted himself to their well-being. Maintaining close family relationships was a top priority for Don. He had a great desire to help others in need. He and Elaine welcomed a Navajo boy into their home to attend school as well as sponsored a Vietnamese woman who had fled war-torn Vietnam to seek a better life in America. Don helped her transition to her new country where she eventually married and enjoyed a very happy life. Seeking adventure remained a constant theme throughout Don's life. Whether serving around the world with the military; cooking sardine pancakes while camping with his boys; or traveling the globe with Elaine in retirement; Don sought every opportunity to experience the wonder of God's creations. In December 2016, Don suffered a traumatic brain injury when he fell from a ladder. Over the ensuing 18 months, as his health declined, he learned humility and patience as he endured the loss of his physical strength and ability. He spent the final months of his life in the constant care of his daughter, Jennifer. The entire family came to appreciate the blessing of Christ like service and all participated in the care of their father. On June 11, 2018 he passed from this world with his wife and family by his side. What a happy reunion he must have experienced to once again embrace his parents, his brother, and his son, Michael, who preceded him in death four years earlier. Don Bagley lived the life he was given to the fullest. He knew joy and exhilaration as well as sorrow and despair. He embodied duty and honor to his family, his country and his God. He lived and made history yet ensured that his loved ones were never forgotten. He made a difference in this world and we are the better for it. He is survived by his wife, Elaine (Geisler), and children Jason (Janna), Richard (Colleen), Michael (deceased July 12, 2014), Jennifer Whetman (Scot), Andrea Brewster (Mark), Heather Gardner (Joel), and Frank (Lisa). He has 21 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. The family would like to thank the staff at the George E. Wahlen Ogden Veterans Home, Encompass Hospice and Essential Home Health Care for their devoted and kind service. Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 16, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at the Fruit Heights Stake Center, 170 North Mountain Road, Fruit Heights, Utah. Friends may visit family Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Lindquist's Kaysville Mortuary, 400 North Main, Kaysville, Utah, and Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church. Interment, Kaysville City Cemetery. favorite_border Donations Pledges.
