Our dear husband, father, and grandfather, Sean Wharton, passed away in his home on January 29, 2026 at the age of 60 surrounded by his loving family following his strong and courageous battle with Glioblastoma Brain cancer.
Sean was born June 18, 1965 to Linda Kaye Glad and Ralph Donald Wharton and grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sean learned the value of hard work at a young age and began a very successful career in culinary arts as a teenager. He soon found opportunities to work as the “Sous Chef” at restaurants in Deer Valley Ski Resort in Park City, Utah and Cape May, New Jersey, where he split his time in each city during their peak seasons.
While at Deer Valley, Sean met “his Becca”, the love of his life. They were married April 27, 1996. Through their union, Sean and Rebecca became the parents of 10 children: Alyssa, Nickie, Emily, Daren, Gavin, Mindy, Jacob, Kelton, Izabell, and Lilly. They also received guardianship of Mariel as a teenager, who is loved as a daughter.
Sean dreamed of operating and owning his own restaurant and in 1997 Sean and Rebecca made their dream into a reality by purchasing the Gateway Grille in Kamas, Utah. They owned and operated it for 21 years and maintained a catering business for the Park City Area.
In 2018 Sean and Rebecca felt inspired to sell the Gateway Grille and catering company to move their family from Kamas to Cedar City, Utah. They later started a general contracting company named 16 Stones Construction.
Sean was a dedicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in many callings and touched the hearts of everyone in the wards and communities where he served. One of his favorite opportunities was serving as an ordinance worker in the Cedar City temple for 5 years while working full time. As he served in the temple, Sean felt a closeness with his Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ that he would always cherish.
Sean worked hard and played just as hard. He prioritized taking his family on vacation, making memories and quickly planning the next family adventure. He was an avid dirt biker and loved desert racing. He enjoyed skiing, boating, rock climbing, hiking, and just being outdoors. Through all of this, Sean always brought his family with him and encouraged his sons and daughters to do the things he loved. He was always the one behind the camera making sure family memories were documented and making us all smile. Regardless of the challenge, he found a way to ensure his family was always provided for. When many would stop trying, Sean was found working harder and always finding a way to make things work. Even in the last year of his life, fighting his biggest
battle, his priority was guaranteeing his sweet wife and girls at home were left well taken care of.
Sean is survived by his loving wife Rebecca, their children Alyssa (Gentry), Emily (Ryan), Daren, Gavin (McKenzie), Mindy, Jacob, Kelton, Izabell, Lilly, and 11 grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his daughter Nickie, his parents, and his brother Todd.
Cedar City, Utah services will be held on Friday February 6, 2026 at The Canyon View Stake Center: 1985 North Main Street Cedar City, Utah 84721. The viewing will be held from 12:30-1:30 PM with the funeral following at 2 PM. There will be a livestream of funeral services available on cedarvalleyfuneral.com on Sean’s memorial page.
On Saturday February 7, 2026 we will hold a gathering for friends and family at the Kamas Stake Center: 3038 North State Rd. 32 Marion, Utah 84036 from 12:30-1:30 PM preceding the graveside service at 2 PM at the Marion Cemetery: 832 East 2700 North Kamas, Utah 84036.
Our family would like to express our deepest gratitude to all family, friends, community members and health care providers who have assisted, and sent their love, support, and prayers in behalf of our family. As a family, we would like to say a special thanks to our Mom for the amazing care and love she gave our dad during the hardest part of this battle. She felt it was a privilege to be able to care for her sweetheart in the comfort of their home.