Mel Gunville

Melvin D Gunville, age 71, of Saratoga Springs, formerly of Roosevelt, Utah, passed away December 19, 2023, at the Utah Valley Hospital in Provo.

            He was born October 18, 1952, in Belcourt, North Dakota, to Fred Gunville and Mary Rose Boyer.   He was raised by his mother Mary and her second husband, Wright “Red” Anderson.  He married Pat Larsen on May 21, 1983.  She was the love of his life, and they shared a wonderful marriage.  Pat died May 22, 2019.  Mel missed her dearly.

            Mel and Pat moved to Montana in 1992 where they owned and operated a cattle ranch, which was his passion. They loved their time on the ranch.  Mel was a natural with the cattle.  He could call them, and they would come to him. Mel was great with animals, and he loved caring for them and their companionship. They later moved back to the Uintah Basin where he worked in the oil field doing various jobs on workover rigs.  He was a fantastic mechanic and worked in this position for many different companies as well.

In his younger years Mel was a horse jockey.  He raced and trained the horses.  He also worked alongside a veterinarian.

His favorite hobby was restoring old automobiles, especially Camaros and Corvettes.  Mel also enjoyed hunting and fishing.  Unknown to many, Mel had talent as a pencil sketch artist.  He had a great sense of humor and was constantly joking and making people laugh.  Mel always went out of his way to help others from family to strangers.  He was very kind and compassionate and shared whatever he had.

            The most important thing to Mel was his family.  He loved everyone deeply.  He adored his grandchildren and the time he was able to spend with them.  He would often reminisce about the children when they were young and the joy that they brought to his life.

            He is survived by his children, Scott (Marie) Swain, Roosevelt; Jill (Glenn) Todd, Saratoga Springs; 12 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren.