David Andrew Vernon passed away at home on October 30, 2021 after a two-year battle with glioblastoma. He was brave, funny, kind, and determined to the end. David will be greatly missed by all who know and love him.

David was born to Douglas Arland Vernon and Karien Laura Baran on April 1, 1966. He grew up in the Millcreek area of Salt Lake City, the fifth of nine children. Naturally athletic, David loved baseball, bicycles, hiking, motorcycles, guns, and archery. Some of his fondest memories are the hundreds of hours he spent practicing baseball with his brother Gene at the elementary school around the corner.

During his teens, David picked pineapples in Maui for a year and still managed to graduate with the rest of his class at Olympus High. After David attended Snow College for two terms, he served in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission where he learned to speak “Southern.” Following his mission, David worked at the Church Office Building where he met and fell in love with Heidi Young. A year later, on August 6, 1988 they were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.

A proud father, David was thrilled to welcome each new baby into the family. David worked as a locksmith for several years until he became disabled. During his early retirement David created hundreds of beautiful paintings and drawings and thousands of dream catchers.

David conversed easily with anyone and became friends with almost everyone – neighbors, mail carriers, grocery store cashiers, department managers, librarians, ferry captains, and even strangers on Facebook. He was inquisitive and loved learning new things, especially history and nature. David loved spending time with family – going to Millcreek Canyon, movies, live theater, playing card and board games, and even just watching DVDs at home.

Thank you to everyone who helped David in his fight with aggressive brain cancer: our families, friends, and neighbors. And many doctors, nurses, therapists, aides and housekeepers at Intermountain Medical Center, Huntsman Cancer Institute, and Valeo Hospice. Especially Dr. Joe Mendez, Dr. Paul House, Dave Schow, Katie, Kylee, Carl, and Kelly.

David is preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, brother Doug, sisters Raquel and Michelle and nephew Samuel Young. David is survived by Heidi, his wife; their children, Meagan (Zac), Cameron, Jarom, and Amber; siblings: Tammie, Debbie, Gene (Mary), Kailien and Dan “Aaron” (Katherine). Also, his parents-in-law, Larry and Iris Young: sisters-in-law: Lila, Holly (Gary), Sheri and Becky (Ray); brothers-in-law: Christopher (Christy) and David; and 21 nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held Friday November 5 at 10:00 a.m. at the Valley View Ward at 4322 South 5400 West in West Valley City. Viewings will be Thursday November 4 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:45-9:45 a.m. prior to the service – also at the Valley View Ward building. Interment to follow funeral services at the Bountiful City Cemetery.

If you are able, please consider donating to the Glioblastoma Research Organization at https://gbmresearch.org or Glioblastoma Foundation at https://glioblastomafoundation.org to help in the fight to irradicate this dreadful disease.

For those unable to physically attend the funeral or graveside services, Affordable Funerals and Cremations will be livestreaming via Zoom – instructions to join are below.

Joining by computer

• Go to zoom.us in any internet browser

• Click “Join Meeting”

• Enter the meeting ID – 8012878233

• A box will open saying “https://zoom.us wants to open this application”. Click “Open Zoom”

• Click “Join with Computer Audio”

• Click “Mute” in the bottom left hand corner so that your audio does not interrupt the funeral services

Joining by phone or iPad

• Download the Zoom app

• Open the app and select “Join a Meeting”

• Enter the meeting ID – 8012878233

• Select “Join without Audio”

• Select “Call using Internet Audio”

• Select “Mute” in the bottom left hand corner so that your audio does not interrupt the funeral service