~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF veteran, WA/DL Capt. Charles Patrick Gilmore
March 20, 1947 — September 2, 2025
Charles Patrick “Pat” Gilmore, our fun-loving husband, grandpa, “fatha”, brother, and friend to many, passed away peacefully in the presence of loved ones in Salt Lake City, Utah on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, after a long battle with cancer.
Pat was born on March 20, 1947, to Dorothy Mae Siemen and Melvin Gustave Gilmore in Rockford, Illinois. He was joined less than a year later by his beloved sister, Pam, whom he claimed tormented him from day one, although we know the tormenting was mutual. His stories of their childhood battles are legendary, but despite these spats with his “evil sister” (said with a twinkle in his eye), they remained close throughout his life.
Pat grew up in the beautiful town of Elizabeth, Illinois, on his grandfather’s dairy farm. His father, Melvin Gilmore, was killed in action while serving in the Korean War, and he and Pam were raised by their mother, Dorothy, and her sister, Esther, who lived with them for many years until she married. In her final years, Esther and her husband moved to Utah to be close to Pat and his family, and he cared for them until their deaths. Pat always described his childhood in Elizabeth as idyllic, recounting his time spent helping Grandpa Charlie on the farm, terrorizing the town with his friends, and spending summers collecting hay bales for local farmers.
Pat graduated from Elizabeth High School in 1965 and went on to attend the University of Illinois in Champagne/Urbana where he was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity. He later transferred to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale where he graduated with a degree in Zoology in 1970. After attending one of the top-rated party schools in the country during the 1960s, he seemed to always look back fondly on his college years (at least, what he could remember of it). Later visits to Champagne or Carbondale with his wife and children always included a non-optional tour of his college hangouts, followed by the well-earned stop at a Steak ‘n Shake restaurant. It was during his time at SIU where Pat first took a serious look at joining the Air Force, one day stopping at a recruiting office while on the way to class to ask, “what do I need to do to become a pilot?”.
It was during Pat’s Air Force training in 1971 at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona that he met Connie Madsen at the Officer’s Club. As he recalls it, Connie and a friend entered the room and were immediately swarmed by his fellow officers. Not wanting to be left out, he reached through the crowd of officers, took hold of a woman’s hand, and walked her to the dance floor without knowing whose hand he had grabbed. Fate must have played a hand. Pat and Connie were married the following year on July 1, 1972, in Ogden, Utah.
Pat and Connie settled in San Bernardino, California when Pat was assigned to the 14th Military Airlift Squadron out of Norton Air Force Base. San Bernardino was their home for fourteen years and the birthplace of their three children: Amy, Erin, and Mark. During his time at Norton, Pat flew the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter with the 63rd Airlift Wing during the Vietnam War. The missions included the evacuation of former American prisoners of war from North Vietnam in 1973 and supported the airlift of Vietnamese refugees to the United States in 1975. Following Vietnam, the Wing commanded airlift and supporting units to airlift troops, cargo, equipment, and passengers to and from areas around the world. He later transferred to the Air Force Reserves 445th Military Airlift Wing. After serving in the Gulf War from 1990-1991, Pat officially retired from the Air Force at the rank of Major. During his service, he travelled to 31 countries on 6 continents.
Pat began a career with the airlines in 1978 flying for Western Airlines (the only way to fly!) and briefly worked for Jet America from 1984-1985 while on furlough from Western. When Western was sold to Delta Airlines, Pat was relocated to their hub in Salt Lake City and the family moved to Bountiful, Utah in 1986. His time at Delta saw no shortage of excitement. Pat would often return home with stories of celebrities, sports teams, and other exciting passengers on his flights. Once, he was a feature of the local news as his flight was forced to return to the SLC airport when an unruly gorilla, being transported by the Hogle Zoo, caused a ruckus in the cargo bay shortly after takeoff. Apparently, the gorilla had awoken after its in-flight tranquilizers had worn off. Pat remained with Delta Airlines until his retirement in 2005 as a B-767 Captain.
In retirement, Pat and Connie continued to travel extensively all over Europe and the United States with long time Air Force friends and family. Epic (and very memorable) parties were thrown for his retirement and their 35th wedding anniversary, and he and Connie were frequently hosting family gatherings in their home. He loved spoiling his grandsons with trips to the toy store and movie dates when they were young, and there were many trips to Disneyland with the family (a favorite destination since he first went in 1970). As a child, he discovered his love of building model airplanes and could usually be found at his desk in his “dungeon”, working on several models at a time. Over the course of his life, Pat built thousands of planes and was a member of several clubs. He also discovered a passion for genealogy, spending hours researching and writing several books about both his and Connie’s families. Pat spent several years as a volunteer at the Hill Aerospace Museum at Hill Air Force Base, passing on his knowledge and love of airplanes and flight history to countless visitors. He cherished his time and the many friends that he met as a museum volunteer.
After Connie’s passing in 2016, Pat met Joye Banks and the two were married on December 2, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada by Elvis Presley while Pat wore his blue suede shoes. Pat and Joye enjoyed traveling to many parts of the world, along with road trips across the country. While Pat spent time building his model airplanes, Joye was enjoying her love of quilting. Joye’s children and grandchildren always enjoyed coming up to their house and hearing the stories of his life and his jokes. Pat is loved and will be missed by all his grandchildren.
Pat was known for his storytelling and his dry wit. Gatherings with family and friends were often filled with boisterous laughter as he regaled those around him with tales of his adventures, often aided by a drink or two. He loved spending time with his family and friends and will always be remembered for his ability to sit down next to anyone, friend or stranger, and have a good time.
Pat is survived by his wife, Joye Banks Gilmore; daughter Amy (Aaron) Arbuckle of Bountiful and their children Ethan, Jacob, Callie, and Grace; daughter Erin Gilmore of Arlington, VA and her son Colin; son Mark (Krissy) Gilmore of Bountiful and their children Gemma and Emilia; Joye’s children and grandchildren; sister Pam (Jon) Darrow of Savanna, IL; as well as many nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents and his first wife, Connie Madsen Gilmore.
A viewing will be held on Friday, September 12, 2025, from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. at Russon Mortuary, 295 North Main Street, Bountiful, Utah, followed by a graveside service with full military honors at 11:00 a.m. at Lakeview Cemetery, 1640 Lakeview Drive, Bountiful, Utah. The family will also be hosting an informal Memorial/Celebration of Life party that afternoon from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Squatters Pub Brewery, 147 W Broadway, Salt Lake City, Utah.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Utah at aerospaceutah.org/give.
https://www.russonmortuary.com/obituaries/charles-gilmore
