Clair Franklin Quilter

Clair Franklin Quilter, age 79, of Orem, Utah, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2019, which finally took its toll, and he passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 25, 2026. He was born on December 11, 1946, in Gunnison, Utah, to Franklin H. Quilter and Aldyth Riggs. He is preceded in death by his son, John Franklin Quilter.

Clair loved guns, and shooting was a favorite hobby. His trait of solitary living lent to his love of hunting, camping, and fishing. He also loved to spend time reading, especially Louis Lamoure books. Clair had many diverse interests and talents. He had a mechanical mind and learned how to work on small engines and also larger projects as well. He collaborated with a friend, and together they took on a project to revive an old Chevy Camaro. They rebuilt the engine and made other modifications to “soup it up” a bit. And he loved to drive it around once they got it completed. He was an avid genealogist and loved doing family history. Clair was called as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Eastern Atlantic States Mission, serving in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania, from June 1966 to 1968. Clair was drafted in 1966 during the Vietnam War but was deferred until he returned from his mission. After coming home, he entered the Army. He took his basic training in Columbia, South Carolina. He had suffered an ankle injury, so he was not sent into combat. When they discovered that Clair had worked as a librarian in high school, he was sent to Ft Greely, Alaska, where he set up a technical library for the Arctic Testing Center. He attended college at Rio Hondo Jr. College and later graduated from Southern Utah State College (SUSC) with a degree in Botany and a minor in Ag Range Management. After graduation, he hired on with the Bureau of Land Management.

Clair is survived by his children Brian James, Michael Seth, and Shelly Marie, as well as his brothers and sisters, Gary Reeves, Wylene, Carolyn, Roger Craig, Evan Leigh, Ronald Charles, and Juanita Ann.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 29th, 2026, in the chapel at the Utah Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Camp Williams. The address is 17111 S. Camp Williams Rd. Bluffdale, UT 84065. The service will begin at 11:00 a.m. Directly after the memorial service, there will be a grave-side service which is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. with the military performing a flag ceremony followed by a gun salute. 

Condolences for the family may be expressed on this page.