Gayland Taylor Orton of Richland passed away on October 31, 2010 at the age of 80. Death was caused by a disease that makes you grow old too fast. He was born in Cedar City Utah, June 14, 1930 to Arnold and Phoebe Orton and he spent is early years growing up in Enterprise Utah. By the time he became a teenager his family moved to Provo Utah. In high school he played in the band. Around his senior year he went to trade school where he learned carpentry skills instead of graduating. In 1948 he joined the Air Force where he learned to be an airplane engine mechanic. He also played a lot of basketball in the Air Force and was a member of a team that won the All-SAC championship.

After getting out of the Air Force he went back to Utah and bought a brand new 1952 Plymouth Cranbrook and went cruising on Provo's Center Street. This is how he met the young and impressionable JoAnne Angell. She was attracted to the car and fell in love with Gayland. True to form as an Orton man he found a beautiful girl and tricked her into marrying him before she knew what had happened. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple September 22, 1954. At this time he was attending Brigham Young University majoring in Physics with an emphasis in nuclear energy.

After graduation Gayland and JoAnne packed up the Cranbrook and moved to Richland on the hottest day of June 1956 so Gayland could go to work for General Electric on the Hanford Reservation. By this time they had a beautiful 10-month old baby boy whose only talent was throwing up on command. JoAnne was also expecting their first daughter who would come that September. As they drove into town for the first time Gayland promised the weeping JoAnne that as soon as they saved enough money they would leave this god-forsaken-wind-swept desert and move back to Utah. Instead they stayed and Gayland worked for the AEC, ERDA, and DOE until he retired in 1986. And they had more children which is probably the reason that they couldn't save enough money to go back to Utah. In the end Gayland and JoAnne had six children: Robert and wife Marianne of Richland, Carolyn and husband Edward Monson of Kennewick, Gayle and husband Harold Benny of Poulsbo, Joyce of Roosevelt Utah, Steve of St. Cloud Florida, and Sara and husband Phil Ortega of Richland. From these children came more children - 16 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Gayland is survived by his brother Merle and wife Diane of Orem Utah, his sister Phyllis and husband John Taylor of Richland, his sister Kathryn and husband Paul Nielsen of Orem Utah, and sister-in-law Norma Orton of Richland. . Gayland would also include our friend Cheryle Wingfield of Roosevelt Utah as a member of his family.

In addition Gayland is survived by the members of Boy Scout Troop 203 where he survived as a Scoutmaster from 1968 to 1974. In recognition of his contribution to Scouting he was awarded the Silver Beaver in 1980. He is survived by the members of the old Richland 3rd Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint where he served as bishop from 1980 to 1986. He is survived by the members of the Bridlington England Branch of the church where Gayland and JoAnne served as missionaries in 1992 and 1993. He is also survived by the faithful friends and ordinance workers of the Columbia River Temple who were always very kind to him especially when his declining health became evident as he served in the temple. Gayland always tried to teach his family to look after others before themselves and to serve in any way that they could.

Gayland was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers James and Eldon and sister Janice.

Gayland always loved to the outdoors. In his early years in Washington he loved to hunt chuckars in the Columbia Basin. He also enjoyed an annual steelheading on the Klickatat in Oregon. He also played a lot of recreational basketball, volleyball and softball. He used his carpentry skills to build a garage and remodel the Ranch house so it would fit his growing family. As he approached middle age he decided to get in shape and he started to run, and run and run. He ran all over town. During his life he developed a remarkable talent for crocheting. He crocheted tablecloths, bedspreads, collars and temple alter clothes. Gayland was quite musical and had a talent for playing the banjo and singing at the top of his lungs.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 PM on Friday, November 5, 2010 at Eninan's Funeral Home on the Bypass Highway in Richland. Funeral services will held on Saturday November 6, 2010at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint at 1321 Jadwin in Richland. The Service will begin at 11:00 AM.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Blue Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America in Kennewick.