Roger Gary Warner
December 1, 1937 - January 29, 2021
ROGER GARY WARNER, age 83, of Salt Lake City, Utah, passed away peacefully on January, 29, 2021 during the still morning hours, having lived a long life full of adventure with family and friends.
Born December 1, 1937, in Fillmore, Utah, he was the youngest son of Ervin Alonzo Warner and Rachel Brunson. As a youth, he developed a passion for the great outdoors while roaming the meadows and mountains of Central Utah with his brother Glen. He loved learning about rocks, geography and hunting for buried treasure and arrowheads. He became a seasoned hunter and enjoyed fishing with his family and friends. He was most proud of raising and caring for a pet fox who rode on his shoulder everywhere they went.
Gary was a jack-of all-trades and worked many different jobs throughout his long life. He took tickets at the Bees ballpark, worked on cars at the family body shop, drove pigeons cross-country, cleaned at a hospital, and many, many more. He spent the majority of his working life at his dream job; a massage therapist with a small office located at the local YWCA. He was a member of the American Massage and Therapy Association and won several service awards of which he was very proud. His love for body work continued well into his 80’s as he continued to share his knowledge and experience with others.
Throughout the years, Gary enjoyed being a member of several outdoor organizations. He served in the Utah Gold Prospecting Club, the Rockhounder’s Outreach for Community Knowledge, the Northern Utah Token Society, and the Utah Treasure Association. He also volunteered for many years in the community at the Utah Arts Festival, during Utah PRIDE week, and recently as a crossing guard for his local elementary school.
He was a quiet, solitary man with a sharp sense of humor that only his closest friends could understand and appreciate, but he had a heart of gold. He was always giving to charity and those he saw in need. His friends meant the world him, and he appreciated every phone call, letter and contact that they had.
After his father died, he dedicated his life to the care and comfort of his beloved Mother, Rachel. He stayed by her night and day for 20 years. They enjoyed many adventures and laughs together during those years. He looked forward to their reunion. He is preceded in death by his parents, Rachel & Ervin, and his 3 siblings, Christie, Shirley Theone, and Glen Ervin.
A small private graveside service will be held in Fillmore, Utah where Gary will be laid to rest.
In Loving Memory
My best wishes to Gary's family. By my count, I served as his physician for nearly thirty years. Gary was by nature, a private person. But, over the years, he would share some things that mattered. It was clear to me that he loved the outdoors. He was always asking when I'd last been fishing, and chastising me when it had been, in his estimate, far too long. Though at times he presented a gruff exterior to the world, it was clear that he was willing to help those he saw to be in need, at times to his own disadvantage. Gary lived for many years beyond the time that would be expected for someone with his health challenges. I think is longevity was due in some part to a strong willful streak, but mostly, I think he was curious to see more of the world. At the end of his visits with me in the last few years, Gary made a point to take a moment to stop our usual conversation, and, in a clear and direct manner, thank me for my efforts as his doctor over the years. I think he knew his time was short. He didn't seem afraid of that reality. Rather, I think he didn't want to miss the chance to speak from his heart. Reading his obituary, and looking back on the years I served Gary, it strikes me as a reminder that we are all, over the course of our lives, much more than we appear to be to others at any single moment. Rest in peace Gary. Thank you for your trust.
Osman Sanyer MD
Salt Lake City, UT