Daniel Gordon Despain passed away peacefully on April 8, 2013. He was born October
6, 1917 in Lovell, Wyoming. He was the 11th of 12 children of Julia Thomas and
Robert Henry Despain. As a youth he worked hard on the family farm working in the
sugar beet fields. He and his father ran a nursery and provided trees for the park,
cemetery and many other areas around Lovell.

After graduating from Lovell High School he attended Brigham Young University and
the University of Wyoming where he met Lillian Gardner from Star Valley, Wyoming.
They were married January 3, 1940 in the Salt Lake Temple. They settled on the farm
in Lovell and raised five children; Don, Carvel, Varian, Ronna and Paula.

Gordon worked at various jobs and spent most of his career working for the Soil
Conservation Service. He loved working with young people and with the Scouting
program. He helped many young men meet their scouting goals. He was awarded a
Silver Beaver medal for his work with Scouts. He was also active in the 4-H program
and spent 45 years as a leader, teaching, chaperoning and supervising his own
children and many others

He was very community minded. He saw the need for a golf course in the area so he
donated a portion of his farm and began designing and building a golf course. With
the help of friends and hard work the 9 hole foster Gulch Golf Course was completed.
Gordon enjoyed picking up lost golf balls. Thanks to all the golfers who helped
Gordon when stalled and rescued him.

Gordon was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He and
Lillian spent many winters working in the Mesa, Arizona Temple and enjoying the
southern sunshine.

He enjoyed nature. He went hunting with friends and family and enjoyed fishing in
Devil's Canyon and other nearby streams. He was also an avid gardener and very
generously shared his vegetables with others. Many a golfer enjoyed produce from
Gordon's garden.

Gordon is survived by his brother David Wayne Despain of Salt Lake City, Utah, his
children, Don Gardner (Almira) of Bozeman, Montana, currently of the Freiberg German
Temple Mission, Carvel Gardner (Patty) of Lovell, Varian (Curtis) Talbot of Worland,
Wyoming, Ronna (Chuck) Shugart of Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan, Canada, Paula (Royce)
Hoopes of Star Valley, Wyoming, 30 grandchildren and 99 great grandchildren.