Dennis LeRoy Crofts, age 78, died Thursday, March 18, 2021 at his home in Orderville, Utah.  He was born in Kanab, Utah on May 5, 1942 to Rex and Ines Esplin Crofts.  Dennis was a happy-go-lucky little boy.  His parents divorced when he was about 5, and from then on he was raised by Mom, Dad, Grandpa, many Aunts and Souptown folks.  He kept busy on the farm and on Cedar Mountain helping at the Crofts Sawmill.
 When Dennis graduated from Valley High, he didn’t think the farm life and livin’ in Orderville was for him, so he joined the Navy.  While stationed back east he met up with a young lady that he had briefly known when he wasin the 7th grade.  Having had his wallet stolen with the marriage license inside, Dennis had to call his mother Ines back in Kanab to get permission from her to marry his beautiful bride Patricia Sharrow on May 26, 1962.
 After Dennis got out of the Navy he decided that Orderville and farm life really was the life he loved and wanted.  Buying the only house that Orderville had to offer at the time, which was quite the fixer-upper, Dennis became a jack-of-all-trades.  Mom would think it up, and Dad would create her thoughts.  We would come home from school and ball trips to find walls gone, doorways moved, and new stairways.  In was a new maze every time we entered.  We not only had new walls, we learned some brightly colored adjectives, or nouns, depending on how you wanted to use the words!
 Dennis was always a hard working man, having worked at Kaibab Lumber, Arizona Fuels, DP Curtis, and Jenkins Fuel.  He was an awesome guy with one hell of a sense of humor.  He loved watching his boys play sports, especially basketball.  He was so proud of them having been on the first ever State Champion team of Valley High School in 1981.  Dennis loved his family dearly, and while being quite opinionated, he was always fair and loyal.
 Survivors include wife Pat of 59 years; 4 children Scott (Nesha) Crofts, Andy (Shelie) Crofts, Donna (Kenley) Glover, and Jerry (Michelle) Crofts; 18 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; brothers and sisters; and the two aunts that helped raise him, Hilda and Fawn.  He is preceded in death by his mother Ines and father Rex.
 A graveside service will be held Saturday, March 27, 2021 at 12 Noon in the Orderville Cemetery.  A viewing for family and friends will be held Saturday from 11:00-11:45 AM at the Orderville LDS Church.  Arrangements were made with Mosdell Mortuary.