John Dwight Billings
March 22, 1938 – September 2, 2024
John Dwight Billings left this life September 2, 2024. He was born in Salt Lake City on March 22, 1938, to Ross and Irene Billings joining his older sister, Claire. The Billings family lived in some interesting places during John’s youth: Deer Creek Dam construction camp in Utah, Anderson Ranch Dam construction camp in Idaho, and Grand Junction, Colorado. John spent his junior and high school years in Ogden, Utah, where he graduated from Ogden High School.
John served a Spanish-speaking LDS mission in Texas and New Mexico. When he returned home to Ogden from his mission, he met the love of his life, Gayle Peterson. They married on March 16, 1962, in the Salt Lake Temple.
John and Gayle were the proud parents of four children: Janette (Russell) Todd, Jill (David) Moss, Robert (Jennifer), and Brian (Marley), fifteen grandchildren and ten great- grandchildren.
John graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering. He started his career working for a consulting firm; he moved on to work over 30 years in the Federal Government with the Bureaus of Reclamation and Land Management. His work led him and his family to live in several places: Harrisburg Pennsylvania; Provo, Utah; Boise, Idaho; Bismarck, North Dakota; Gaithersburg, Maryland; and finally settling in Bountiful, Utah, where John has resided for the last 49 years.
After retiring, John and Gayle served an LDS mission to the Washington D.C. North Mission-Spanish speaking. John has continued serving as a temple worker in the Bountiful Temple for many years. He enjoyed traveling with Gayle; they went to Spain, Portugal, England, Wales, and Scotland as well as Alaska and many other states. He also took many memorable family vacation trips to Mexico with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
John was a lifelong learner: he took classes at the University of Utah while working and received his MBA. He loved creating; he wrote stories and poems, and he sculpted and painted. He loved running and skiing — running several marathons in his middle years and joining the 70 Plus Ski Club in his 80’s. He was a wonderful gardener and worked hard at creating a beautiful and inviting yard.
John is preceded in death by his wife Gayle, parents, sister Claire Thain, and grandson Clinton Moss.
A viewing will be held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at Russon Mortuary, 295 N. Main Street in Bountiful. Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at the Maple Hills Chapel, 1320 East 1975 South, Bountiful, Utah, where a viewing will be held prior to services from 9:45-10:45 a.m. Interment – Bountiful City Cemetery.