In Memoriam: Charles Larry Hyde

Owner of Utah-based Mountain West Starlifts and YES – Your Elevator Service, Charles Larry Hyde recently passed away peacefully at home in Salt Lake City in June. On January 4, 1962, Hyde was deployed to Germany as the Berlin Wall was being built and returned home in time for the birth of his and his wife, Karen’s, first child, Drew. The couple raised five children — Drew, Kent, Jordan, Matthew and Karlyn — with love. With 35 years in the vertical-transportation industry, Hyde provided customers with residential elevators, wheelchair lifts and stairlifts. He is survived by his beloved wife; their children and spouses; 12 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He also leaves behind generations of stories, countless lives touched by his generosity and a backyard full of dogs and cats who knew his gentle hands. His obituary reads: “His life was shaped by kindness and conviction: choosing to serve as a medic rather than a marksman, hiring the formerly incarcerated and disabled when few others would, and helping build the foundations of Utah’s disability community. He quietly gave away wheelchairs, bought suits for grieving families, and stood up for those with no one else in their corner.”