Gary Lee Kramer was born April 1, 1945 in Van Nuys, California to Estella Rammell and Morgan Joseph Kramer, although later it would be Thomas Leon Johnson who would step into the role of father for Gary and his sister Barbara. Gary passed away peacefully on the 13th of May 2026 in the early hours of the morning.

Gary grew up mainly in southern California and attended Sutter Junior High School and Reseda High School where he played on the football team and enjoyed academic honors. After graduating from high school, and on advice from family (the draft for the Vietnam War was in full swing), Gary joined the United States Air Force. He received specialty training in basic Russian and in non-Morse intercept operations and, following the completion of his NSA training, was assigned to the Karamürsel Base near Istanbul, Turkey. His final military station was at Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, South Dakota where he would meet his dear wife Lauri Sanders. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on the 29th of March 1968 by Elder Spencer W. Kimball, and would be blessed with six children and 27 beautiful grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Gary would attend Brigham Young University, completing his Bachelor and Master degrees in Psychology. He then moved his little family to Elko, Nevada for his first job. After a few years it was on to Oregon State University where he received a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. Gary then landed a position as Dean of Students at Trident Technical College in Charleston, South Carolina where he served from 1977–1980. Gary would join the faculty and administration at Brigham Young University in 1980 and retire from BYU in 2011.

Gary’s impact on academic advisement, student learning, and the freshman-year experience at BYU cannot be understated. During his career, Gary published four books and over eighty journal articles, book chapters, and monographs. He delivered almost two hundred professional papers, including keynote addresses for professional organizations and provided consultations nationally and internationally. His many awards and honors include Excellence in the Field, Researcher of the Year, Distinguished Service Award, BYU Presidential Citation Award, and Outstanding Freshman Advocate Award. Gary also served as president of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) from 1987-89.

Gary loved serving in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was blessed to serve 4 missions: Serviceman’s Missionary while in the Air Force, in the Central American Mission, and with his wife Lauri in the California San Diego Mission and Provo Missionary Training Center. He filled many callings during his lifetime, including bishop (Elko NV and BYU Provo), student branch presidency (Oregon State University), stake presidency counselor (Charleston SC), high councilor, and home teacher/ministering brother. Perhaps the most enjoyable Church callings were with Lauri when they were called to team-teach for several years of Sunday School classes in their Cascade 3rd Ward.

In addition to his career and church service, Gary loved being with his family, instigating all kinds of sports and activities. Racquetball and saunas at the BYU gym were a favorite, as well as biking along the Murdoch Canal Trail which he did religiously until quite late in life. He enjoyed family vacations to the beach and body surfing the waves at Zuma and elsewhere along the southern California coast. He loved camping, and often spent time with his family as well as with youth groups in the mountains and on the lakes and rivers. He loved BYU sports and was an avid basketball, volleyball and football fan of the Cougars.

Gary lived a full life and he will be very much missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and ward members. He is survived by his devoted wife, Laurel Jeanne Sanders, and six loving children; Nathaniel Todd (Jill), Paul Justin (Amy), Tamara Rae (Tyler Jensen), Robyn (Jef Saunders), Cathryn Ann (Nick Fiedler), and Carolina Lee (Ryan Brady), as well as his nephew, Dan Shrubb, and his niece, Tracy Proefrock.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 11:00 am in the Orem Cascade 3rd Ward chapel (1051 East 200 North). A viewing will be held Monday, May 18 from 6:00 to 8:00pm at Walker Sanderson Funeral Home in Orem. An additional viewing will be held from 9:30 to10:30am, just prior to funeral services.