Danny Gaulden

Services will be live-streamed and may be viewed by clicking here at 10:00 AM MST.

Danny Gaulden, 76, of Carlsbad, NM, passed away November 5, 2023 at his home. Visitation will be 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at Denton-Wood Funeral Home. Funeral services are scheduled for 10:00 AM, Thursday, November 9, 2023 at First Methodist Church with Pastor Scott Meador officiating. Interment will follow in Carlsbad Cemetery with military honors by Carlsbad Veteran Honor Guard.  Denton-Wood Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Danny was born June 17, 1947 in Shreveport, Louisiana to Wallace Reid and Cleola (Hidgon) Gaulden.  He graduated from high school in Bossier City, Louisiana in 1965.  Danny attended Louisiana Tech and University of South Western Louisiana before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force.  He served four years during Vietnam as a morse code interceptor, stationed in Italy and Turkey. Danny married Carolyn Brown July 21, 1972 in Lafayette, Louisiana. Danny and Carolyn moved to Carlsbad in 1975 to buy the Dairy Queen South. They owned the restaurant for thirty years. In 2005, the restaurant was changed to Danny’s Place which he operated another ten years until retiring in 2015.  Danny’s passion was cooking, traveling and competing in the bar-b-que circuit.  He was known as “Q-man” within the cooking competition.  Danny was also a talented accordionist.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Wallace and Cleo Gaulden.

Survivors are his wife, Carolyn Gaulden; daughters: Christina Daily and Camille Gaulden; grandchildren: Kayia Princen and her husband, Richard, Kayden Valenzuela, Colson Daily and Everett Daily. Pallbearers will be Rick Princen, Kayden Valenzuela, Colson Daily, Everett Daily, Mark Green and Rocky Johnson. Condolences may be expressed at dentonwood.com