Lee Hayden Carlton

August 1, 1944 - September 10, 2022

Lee Hayden Carlton, 78, passed away on Saturday, September 10, 2022, while the Utah Utes were slaying Southern Utah University.  He couldn’t wait to start his earthly journey as he was born prematurely on August 1, 1944, in Oklahoma City, OK, to Frank Hayden Carlton and Marion Dame Carlton; he was their oldest child.  Lee grew up in Salt Lake City, graduating from Granger High School where he played football.  Football would  become a life-long passion for him from watching his grandson play to becoming a devoted, super-fan of the Utah Utes to cheering on various NFL teams.  

On August 15, 1963, he married Virginia Bolaris with whom he had three children.  They were later divorced.  On August 29, 1980, he married Barbara J. Martin, adopted her daughter, Stephanie and raised her as his own.  They were later sealed in the Jordan River Temple.  Lee and Barbara enjoyed many adventures together; their favorite places included Jackson Hole and Bear Lake.  

He began his life-long career in construction as a window glazier and relished pointing out all the “glazing” he put in tall buildings in Seattle.to temples in Utah and everywhere else in between.  After working with a few construction companies,he found his niche with Camco Construction, making a name for himself as a well-respected superintendent.  There are a plethora of places on the West Coast - Alaska, California, Idaho, Washington, and Utah where Lee’s craftsmanship has left its mark.   His fierce work ethic and motto of “get it done right the first time” and “on time,” will live on in the hearts of his co-workers, friends, and family.

After Lee retired from Camco, and found he couldn’t sit still, he crushed it, pouring concrete for the Messerly Concrete Company.  His second retirement found him as a superintendent for his sweetheart Barbara while she dealt with kidney disease.

The family expresses gratitude to the Rocky Mountain Care Hospice team who provided great care and comfort to Lee and his family during his final days (shout out to Bobbi, Brady and Holly!).

Lee is survived by his son Lee Jr. (Angie) of Fruit Heights; daughters Christina, Denver CO;  Jen (Jason) Bailly, Portland, OR; and Stephanie (Kee) Carlton-Johnson, Sandy; grandchildren:  Trey, Tiffany and Taylor Carlton; Amelia and Zeke Bailly; and Holland Johnson.  He is also survived by his sisters Linda, Sharon, Janet, Nancy, and sister-in-law Connie, plus nieces and nephews.

At the family’s request, in lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Habitat for Humanity.

A celebration of Lee’s life will transpire on Monday, September 19th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Salt Lake City.  A graveside service will take place on Tuesday, September 20th at 11:00 a.m. at Mountain View Memorial Estates, 3115 East Bengal Blvd. Sandy.

A Utah man am I!  Go Utes!