May 2, 1929 – July 8, 2017
Allan David LeBaron, 88, of Hurricane, Utah, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother, passed away on Saturday, July 8, 2017. He spent his last years tenderly caring for his wife, Joan.
Allan was born on May 2, 1929, in Santaquin, Utah, to David Roger and Hazel Arvilla Bennett LeBaron, the sixth of their eight children. He attended schools in Santaquin and Payson, graduating from Payson High School in 1947. Allan attended classes and enrolled in ROTC at Utah State in Logan. He left after two years to join the United States Air Force. He served as a fighter pilot in the Korean War, where he received the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was honorably discharged in 1955 and went on to attend California State Polytechnic College in San Louis Obispo, California. He received his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering.
Allan met his wife, Joan Hopwood, while delivering planes to England in 1954. He and Joan had been pen pals since she was 12 and he was 15 years old, while he was living in Santaquin and she in Manchester, England. They quickly fell in love during his succeeding trips and were married on Dec. 8, 1954, in Manchester. She came to live in the United States the following year, where they lived in Texas; San Luis Obispo and Santa Monica, California, and eventually settled and raised their family in the San Diego area.
Allan retired from his career as an aeronutical engineer at Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical in San Diego and he and Joan moved to Hurricane in 1995, where he started a second career as a peach farmer. He was able to maintain his orchard almost entirely by himself until he was well into his 80s. Health issues of his own and his strong commitment to caring for Joan after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease forced him to require help with his beloved peach orchard.
Allan was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters Lila (Darvel) Peterson, Arlene (Gordon) Heelis, Relia (Bob) Gilmore; brothers Clinton (Evelyn) LeBaron, Elvin LeBaron, and Bill (Dorthella) LeBaron.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Joan; his sons, David and Steven of St. George; daughter, Linda (Laurence) Crane of Overland Park, Kansas; granddaughters Caroline (Anthony) John of Overland Park, Kansas, Jill (Jacob) Allred of Salt Lake City, Utah, Emily (Matthew) Wilson of Overland Park, Kansas, Melanie (Andrew) Starita of Navarre, Florida, and Laura (Trevor) Tom of Orem, Utah; great-grandchildren Will, Lauren, and Elliott John; Tyler and Michael Wilson; and Leah Starita; his sister, Janet (Boyd) Carter of Spanish Fork, Utah; and many nieces and nephews who he loved and admired.
Services
- Services were held Saturday, July 15, 2017, 11 a.m. at the Spilsbury Hurricane Valley Mortuary, 25 North 2000 West in Hurricane.
- Burial with military honors was held immediately following the service at the St. George Cemetery.
We would like to thank the kind doctors, nurses, and the incredible CNAs who helped to care for our dad the last several weeks of his life.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Spilsbury Mortuary, 435-673-2454.
For condolences, full obituary, and funeral listings please visit Spilsbury Mortuary online.