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Dad's Obituary

 

Scott Edward Gudgel, passed away on September 17, 2023, following an accident on his property in Monticello, UT. He was born on March 27, 1954, to Edward and Lucille Gudgel in Modesto, California. He spent a very happy childhood on a large ranch near Patterson, California, where his dad was a dairy foreman. It was here that Scott developed a deep love for animals.

Scott had an insatiable appetite for learning how things worked. As a child, he spent many happy hours disassembling and reassembling household appliances with and without permission from his parents. His engineering spirit combined with stubborn patience and quite a bit of trial and error led him to create several beautiful, safe, and functional homes for his family. He was a problem-solver and could speak with a deep understanding of a variety of scientific topics.

His service-oriented attitude and deep care for the well-being and safety of others led him to pursue a career in law enforcement. He served as a Deputy Sheriff in San Joaquin County, California for twenty-two years before moving to Wyoming where he continued to serve by plowing snow, driving busses, and working with troubled youth. After Wyoming, the family moved to Washington state and soon after to Utah where he worked at the Utah County jail as a population management specialist.

Sometimes the laws governing Scott’s employment prevented him from helping people in the way he wanted, so he found great joy in valiantly serving in church callings and informally serving wherever he saw a need he could meet. Scott served as a stake missionary twice, Elders Quorum President, Executive Secretary, temple worker, and a faithful home teacher. His most recent calling as a teacher for the 7- and 8-year-old Primary children brought him a lot of joy.

Scott is survived by his loving wife, Mary Gudgel, and their three children, Cathy Budginas, Bonni Mergenthaler, and Daniel Gudgel. His family remembers him as a loving husband and father, a man who was always ready to share his knowledge and lend a helping hand.

A memorial for Scott will be held on Thursday, September 28, at 11 a.m. at the Monticello Stake Center Building at 165 S. Main St., Monticello, UT 84535.


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