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!
In Loving Memory
I met Lee early in 2006. I was fresh out of the military, I just got married and just had my first child. I can't explain the impact he had on my life. Regardless his strong encouraging words (for those who knew his sense of humor) he was one of my favorite people in my life. It was a pleasure for me to have his influence on my life and I will still quote him until my final days. I'm a better man knowing who he was and he will be missed.
Caleb Hardman
Slc, Ut
Dear Carlton Family, Lee was a true Rock, in my life and in our mutual business lives. Loyal in every way. His insistence on honesty and high performance stood out among his otherwise peers. His care for me and me him stood the test of decades of challenges. He was expert at his work: guiding men and women, regardless of who they might work for to create wonderful buildings for generations to come. His way was mostly quiet in large settings....but one on one he spoke truth in volumes. His love for his Wife Barbara, and his son Lee, Jr and daughter "Queenie" was obvious to all. His valiant determination despite long and difficult health challenges set an example that is not likely to be surpassed. Lee loved me despite my shortcomings and I loved him for who he was. He was as authentic as they come. I have missed working with Lee and will miss his voice and conversations on the other end of the phone. The words "RFC..... LHC here" will ring in my ears the rest of my days. Rest in Peace, my great friend. Bob
Robert Campbell
Sandy, Ut
My 4 brothers and I grew up next door to Lee. He and Barbara moved in when I was 8. Lee was like an uncle to us. His sarcasm was hilarious and it usually came at the best time. He would come over and visit us on Sunday nights. And we loved every minute of it. He was patient and always encouraging when we needed to borrow tools and when we were looking for advice on how to fix things. He added on and remodeled my parents house. And he let them live. Every picture my mom took of Lee remodeling their home, Lee was flipping the bird. He would refer to hid workers as "Jose" and "hose B". I worked for he and his father, Frank, before I went on my mission. Frank was funny too, but in a scary way. He loved to intimidate and Lee loved to defuse Frank's intimidation. They could've had a sitcom together. Many times my dad would say, following some inquisition or vehicle crisis, "I don't know, go ask Lee.". My dad appreciated Lee, although he seldom expressed it. In my youth, I enjoyed telling Lee my latest speeding ticket or fender bender stories. He would laugh with his huge smile and his whole body would shake. Lee loved to speed too Everywhere we went together, he hauled ass. In the 80's, when no one used seatbelts, it was scary to ride with him burning through town with his 460. Loaded or unloaded, we got there fast. Lee had very colorful sayings. All of them were inapropriate, and spot on. Barbara would follow by yelling, "Leeeee!!!!!" I will forever charish my friendship with Lee. If I imagined what I would dream of my 4 sons to some day be, and it was between a General Authority and Lee, it would be Lee Carlton all day long.
Brandon Mortenson
Providence, UT