Gordon Almon Van Epps (1920-2016) was raised in Phoenix, Arizona. He married Jayne Dunn in 1945 while on leave from the US Navy. After WWII he completed a master's degree in agronomy at Utah State University, then taught at California Polytechnic College and Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. There, in association with the USU Extension service, he spent the next 30 years doing agronomic research, revegetation studies, native plant and soil research, and serving as a resource for the farmers of central Utah.

Gordon, along with his wife and four daughters, traveled internationally in service to agricultural providers. They lived 3 years in Karaj, Iran, where he helped develop a large modern research and demonstration farm; 2 years in La Paz and Cochambamba, Bolivia, where he helped farmers increase wheat production; and after joining the faculty of Washington State University, served in Lesotho in southern Africa to aid farmers increase food production. He considered these opportunities for service as unique and marvelous experiences, and developed a love of foreign cultures and new friendships.