Joseph Edward Plant

Joseph Edward Plant age 86, loving father, and devoted husband of Dora Jane Halford Plant, passed away peacefully on February 15, 2015. Joe was born in Salt Lake City, September 12, 1928 where he lived most of his life. He served his country honorably during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. A memorial service will be held honoring Joseph on Saturday, February 21, 2015 at 11:00 a.m at the Bountiful 45th Ward House – 115 Wicker Lane (1850 South Orchard Drive) Bountiful Utah. Family and friends are welcome to gather at 10 a.m. Burial will follow directly after the service at the Bountiful City Cemetery, 2224 South 200 West, Bountiful, UT 84010. Lunch will be served afterwards  back at the ward house. 
Joseph Edward Plant is preceded in death by his dear parents, George and Ella, beloved Uncle Ed Jacobsen, sister Betty, son Lyndin Plant, and granddaughters Korrine & Olivia Plant.
Joe grew up surrounded by music, with a menagerie of pets and close family. He adored his parents, George & Ella, older brother and comrade Georgie, sweet sisters Betty & Joyce. His hero and mentor was his favorite Uncle Ed who shared his love of  knowledge, the occult and otherworldly pursuits. The children were close pals and enjoyed a rich childhood filled with numerous adventures in the natural world. Joe played the accordion, love to ice skate, hike in the canyons, square dance and hop freight trains sharing the rails with genuine hobos. He worked in the family mine in Big Cottonwood Canyon and like his father before him was a volunteer fireman for South Salt Lake. After graduating from Granite High, Joe joined the armed forces – the army police, stationed at Fort Lewis Army Base in Pierce, Washington State during the Korean War. During this time he met and married Dora Jane Halford and devoted himself to her and his children for 64 years. 
Joseph worked hard at Kennicott Bingham Copper Mine, the Tooele Army Depot and retired from a long and successful career at Hill Field Air Force Base in Ogden where he built missile carriers. During the height of the Vietnam War, Joe bravely signed up to work near the front lines in Da Nang Vietnam for six months, leaving Dora and his three children to build MX missile carriers. He loved every minute of being where the action was, watching bombs explode and serving his county for a second mission.  After retiring from Hill Field, Joe volunteered daily for over 16 years at the Bountiful LDS Temple, joyfully assisting his wife Dora who was the head chef for the temple as well as helping other temple workers. During his years of service Joe was named and awarded the number one LDS volunteer in the country. 
Some of his happiest memories were long family road trips driving to California, the Northwest and sharing weekends with his siblings and all their families in nearby canyons for breakfast cooked on Coleman stoves in campgrounds under the pines, near running streams with a bunch of kids running wild. Those were the days! 
Joe is survived by his wife Dora Plant of Bountiful, his brother George Plant, Murray, Joyce Plant Hicks, Salt Lake City, two daughters Jody Plant of Salt Lake City and Jessica Hanks of Farmington, Utah, grandchildren, Andrea, Christopher, Ian, Shawn, Julian and his great-grandchildren Nicolle, Sammy and Jacob. 
The family would like to express their loving gratitude for the kind generosity and patience rendered by Jon and JoAnn Taylor, their visionary 45th Ward bishop Neil Wilkinson, relief society, home teachers and the heroic efforts of the Applegate team of therapists, nursing & hospice.
We are forever grateful to the exceptional VA Hospital and the compassionate, committed team of medical providers that cared for our father during his struggle with Alzheimer's and especially during the last few days of his life in VA's extraordinary hospice care. 
Special thanks to Dr. Megan Skibitsky, Dr. Natalie Manley, Dr. John Nord and his amazing team on 2 East, RN Kelly Scheer, PT Steve Wilson, Ian Hanks, Tina Mcalister, Christopher Plant, Steve and Pam Halford. All angels on earth.
Dear Joseph, son, brother, husband, father, uncle, grandpa, friend and gentle lover of life may you rest in eternal peace. You will be missed deeply and held forever dear in our hearts.