Kent Edde

Our wonderful dad, grandpa, and husband, Garth Kent Edde, passed away September 15, 2023 in Payson, Utah. He will be greatly missed.

Kent was born June 20, 1940 and grew up in the small town of Grantsville, Utah. He had an idyllic childhood, roamed freely with his hunting dog, and could pop into his family's restaurant for a burger and fries whenever he wanted. Kent had a little sister, Diane, whom he adored. He greatly admired his father and followed in his footsteps by joining the Air Force. Later, he joined his dad and uncles as a pilot for the new family business, Edde Airlines, where his sister Diane served as a stewardess. Kent's love of flying and airplanes continued throughout his entire life.

On November 27, 1965, the family endured an unthinkable tragedy. An airplane carrying his dad and 17-year-old sister crashed, killing everyone on board. Kent's life was spared by a last-minute pilot switch. Kent and his mother reeled from this experience, receiving an outpouring of love and support from the entire city of Grantsville.

In the years that followed, Kent experienced much heartache. He gave up flying and found himself newly single. He moved to Orem, where he met the love of his life in the most romantic of places—a laundromat. Kent and April were neighbors and quickly became friends. Although Kent was initially placed in the "friend zone", he persisted and won her over with kindness, friendship, and pot roast. After receiving some wise counsel from her 6-year-old, April decided to give Kent a chance, and she quickly fell in love. They married and were later sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.

April and Kent began their marriage with a combined six children and decided to expand their family, eventually having seven more. They worked side by side in life, sharing the responsibilities of family life equally. Kent loved sports and taught his kids to play tennis, baseball, and softball. While April worked nights as a nurse, Kent made sure to have dinner ready for the family. He also remained very close to his mother, who was a cherished grandmother to his 13 children.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Kent faithfully took his children to church and worked hard to overcome feelings of doubt. Through faith and study, he gained a strong and lasting testimony of Jesus Christ in his later years.

Kent's sharp mind and love for numbers and puzzles began to deteriorate as dementia set in. There was much he couldn't remember, but he almost always recognized his wife, April, and retained his sense of humor, his Donald Duck impression, and his love for his family.

Kent is preceded in death by his father, Garth Harrison Edde; mother, Virginia Dymock Edde (Gray); sister, Linda Diane Edde; and great-grandson, Romeo Prince Musetti.

He is survived by his wife, April Trunnell Edde; 13 children: Karrie Marchello, Kevin (Holland) Edde, Kent Edde, Kraig Edde, Marcelle Thompson, Spencer (Kym) Collins, Jamie (Edgar) Harris, Laurie (Kevin) Marler, Jill Edde, Brooke (Shane) Girton, Stacy (Steve) Taylor, Mackenzie (Colin) Walker, and Brett (Amberlee) Edde; as well as 38 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Monday, September 25th at 11:00 AM at the Santaquin Stake Center, 45 South 500 West, where family will greet friends from 10:00 - 10:45 AM prior to the services. Interment will be in the Grantsville City Cemetery at 3:00 PM.