After more than four decades of service in Davis School District, East Layton Elementary custodian Chou Duangdara has been named the district’s Support Professional of the Year. The honor was presented as a surprise celebration recognizing a career defined by steady service, pride in his work and a deep connection to the school communities he has supported.
Board President Brigit Gerrard said Duangdara has become a familiar and valued presence not only at East Layton Elementary, but throughout the surrounding neighborhood.
“I am so excited to be here today to honor Chou,” Gerrard said. “I live very close by, and I walk over here just about every day. One of the highlights of my walk is seeing him and stopping to chat. And I’m not the only one who feels that way.”
Duangdara’s 41-year career in the district has included service at Woods Cross, Mountain View and East Layton elementary schools. Across those assignments, colleagues say his reputation has remained the same: dependable, detail-oriented and deeply committed to the schools he serves.
“If you just look around the school grounds, you can see the pride he takes in his work,” Gerrard said. “Everything is cared for, and it shows how much he values this school community.”
For Duangdara, that care comes from a simple but consistent mindset about responsibility and pride in his work.
“I take care of the school just like my house—outside and inside,” he said. “If something needs to be done, I just do it. I want everything to be right for the kids and teachers.”
That commitment has often meant going beyond what is expected, including using his own equipment when he felt it would improve the quality of the work.
“I even brought my own lawn mower from home because it worked better,” Duangdara said. “I just want to make sure I do it right. That’s important to me.”
His journey to Utah began in Laos following the Vietnam War, when he left his home country at the age of 12. He later immigrated to the United States after swimming across a fast-moving river in order to reach safety. In the years that followed, he worked multiple jobs to support his family both locally and abroad while building a life with his wife of 40 years.
After retiring once following 35 years of service, Duangdara returned to the district because he missed the work and the school environment.
“I came back because I missed it,” he said. “ llike working, and I like seeing everything taken care of.”
Now preparing to retire again, Duangdara said the decision brings mixed emotions after such a long career.
“It’s hard,” he said. “I’m going to miss the school. But I’m happy when I see people happy.”
East Layton Elementary Principal Brooke Murdock said Duangdara’s impact extends far beyond the physical upkeep of the building.
“He is one of the unique ones, and he’s not replaceable,” Murdock said. “What he brings is not just maintenance of a school, but a standard of care and pride that everyone feels when they walk in the building. That’s something special.”
As he prepares to close this chapter in Davis School District, colleagues say Duangdara’s legacy will remain embedded in the culture of East Layton Elementary—seen in the care of the building, the pride of the staff and the relationships he built with students and families over more than four decades.