David Julian Sanchez

David Julian Sanchez, beloved husband, devoted father and papa, loyal brother and loved uncle, lost his battle with lung cancer and passed away peacefully in his home on June 12, 2024, surrounded by his wife and children. 

David was born in San Jose, California on October 16, 1945. He was proud to be the son of an honorable man, Segundo “Sig” Sanchez and a devoted mother, Jane Farotte Sanchez. He inherited his integrity from his father and his loyalty from his beautiful mother, who also taught him his Catechism. The family lived in Gilroy, California. David was educated by the wonderful nuns at St. Mary’s School in Gilroy, the Christian Brothers at Palma High in Salinas, and the Jesuit Priests at the University of Santa Clara, where he received his B.S. and his MBA. 

David later converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and married Georgia Maria Humphrey on September 11, 1976, in Macon, Georgia. They were sealed a year later in 1977 in the Salt Lake Temple. He is survived by his wife and their four superb children, identical twins, Joshua Sig Sanchez and Augustus David Sanchez, [Brooke] of Centerville, Utah, Mila-Elizabeth Sanchez, and Anna-Lucia [Scott] Gailen of Chatsworth, California, & Santa Clara, Utah; their eight precious Sanchez grandchildren, June, Julian, Joseph, Sam, Rocco, Gabe, Lincoln and Gigi; his sister Donna Sanchez of San Jose, California, his three brothers, Chris [Beverly] Sanchez of Hotchkiss, Colorado, Nick [Sandy] Sanchez of Weslaco, Texas, and Jon [Michelle] Sanchez of Gilroy, California, and brothers in law, Hubert [Norma] Humphrey of Suwanee, Georgia, Cleon [Nettie] Humphrey of St. George, Utah, sisters in law, Sandra [Barry] Ottley of Bluffton, South Carolina, and Amy [Steve] Humphrey of Canton, Georgia; several aunties and uncles, and many beloved nieces and nephews.

David was appreciative of his noble Spanish and Swiss-Italian heritage and invested a lot in having his family research done. This increased his love of serving as a Bountiful Temple worker for the first seven years after it opened. He also served his faith in many capacities, including serving as Young Men’s President, as a stake missionary, as a counselor in several bishoprics, with one of his favorites being with a University of Utah Young Single Adult Ward. He and his wife also served a fulltime mission in the London England Mission in 2013. David was firm in his faith in the redemptive power of His Savior Jesus Christ, in the validity of the Book of Mormon and in the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ by the latter-day prophet Joseph Smith. 

David had a successful business career in real estate, beginning as a broker and later as an investor. He bought his first piece of real estate at age 19 and he was hooked for the rest of his life. He enjoyed fishing early in his life and enjoyed a brief span of golfing with his sons. He always had loved the beach and many vacations centered around beaches in California, Hawaii, and Mexico. But wherever the family traveled, be it river rafting, cruising to Alaska or the Caribbean, or sightseeing in Central America, Africa, or Europe, David always had to look at real estate. He never thought of it as work but as fun and he relished acquiring knowledge and gaining information on the economic impact on real estate. The only thing more important than real estate was his family and his faith.

Our lives were enriched by his devotion to his faith and to his family. We are very grateful for the deep and lasting friendships we developed in the various places in which we lived, that brought love and laughter to our lives. Our friends have always been a source of fun and true joy to us.

David’s life will be celebrated at an 11:00 a.m. funeral service on Monday, June 24, 2024, at the Mueller Park Stake Center, 1800 Mueller Park Road in Bountiful, Utah. A viewing will be held prior to the funeral from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the church and also on the previous Sunday evening, June 23, 2024, from 6-8 p.m. at Russon Mortuary, 295 N. Main Street in Bountiful, Utah. Services will be streamed live by the ward at this link: https://zoom.us/j/91946169349

We wish to thank David’s oncologist, Dr. Wayne Ormsby, and the other doctors and medical staffs that attended David these last years of his life: Dr. Tim LeClair, Dr. David Griffin, Dr. Mark Mifflin, Dr. Shakoor Akbar, Martha Bray, Family Nurse Practitioner and her staff, Dr. Karen Radley, Dr. Mohammed Sadiq, and the Quality Hospice Team that included Shalee Salerno, Tammy Furqueron, Jaclyn, and Morgan.