Larry Richard Danley

Larry Richard Danley, born February 24, 1952, in Reno, Nevada, passed away peacefully on May 6, 2025, at the age of 73, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, growth, and service. From a young age, Larry’s life was defined by movement, education, and hard work. He spent his early childhood in towns across Nevada—Austin, Battle Mountain, Winnemucca, and Reno—attending various elementary and junior high schools before graduating from Earl Wooster High School in 1970. His early jobs, including work at Safeway and in construction, set the stage for a lifelong journey of personal reinvention and learning. At 22, he set out on a transformative solo motorcycle trip across the U.S., which ultimately led to a brief marriage, military service, and an epiphany that education was the key to a better future.

Larry served honorably in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of Sergeant and receiving several commendations while stationed in Germany. It was there that he met and married Yvonne, with whom he returned to Reno to build a family and pursue his education. He earned multiple degrees, including a B.A. in Humanities, a B.S. in Human Services, and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology. He worked as a school counselor, mental health professional, and advocate for underserved communities. He and Yvonne divorced in 1996, and Larry moved to Las Vegas, Nevada.

In 2007, at the age of 55, Larry met and married the love of his life, Jill Bateman Danley, and moved to Orem, Utah, to be with her. They were later sealed in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. After retiring, Larry and Jill served an LDS mission together at LDS Employment Services in Provo, Utah. Larry and Jill spent 18 happy years together enjoying their children, grandchildren, dogs (Annie and Cindy), going on Harley-Davidson motorcycle rides, reading, doing hours of family history research, traveling, and gardening. Larry loved classic rock. He shared a special bond with his daughter Carina over Foreigner’s I Want to Know What Love Is, and with his son Adrian, blasting ZZ Top’s Bad to the Bone—memories they’ll always cherish.

His values were deeply rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Larry is survived by his four children—David (Erika) Chaffin, Eric (Melissa), Carina (John) Hasselfeld, and Adrian; three stepchildren—Jayson (Carin) Smith, Jinjer (Peter) Donaldson, and John (Shannon) Smith; 23 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Utah Veterans Cemetery and Memorial Park Chapel, located at 17111 South Camp Williams Road, Bluffdale, Utah. A viewing for friends and family will be held just prior to the service from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow at the Utah Veterans Cemetery with military rites.

Condolences may be expressed to the family on this page.