Alaire Johnson

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Alaire Lewis Johnson peacefully passed away Friday September 10, 2021.  She was born July 3, 1927 to Doyle M. Lewis and Lenore E. Bailey in Murray, Utah.  She Married Gaylen M. Johnson on May 29, 1950 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.  She was married for 53 years before Gaylen passed in 2003.

Alaire attended Jordan High School and then Brigham Young University prior to serving a mission in Dallas, Texas. After getting married in 1950 Gaylen and Alaire started their family which became Alaire’s full-time job for the next 37 years. In the early 1980’s she returned to Brigham Young University and finished her bachelor’s degree in family sciences. Once the children were raised, she and Gaylen embarked on serving missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Gaylen and Alaire served four missions together including Dublin, Ireland, Salt Lake Family History center, and she served as historian for the building of the Raleigh, North Carolina and Nauvoo, Illinois temples while Gaylen was the mechanical engineer. After Gaylen passed, Alaire served one more mission on her own to the Washington D.C. temple.

Alaire was never interested in things or esthetics, but was a collector of people all her life. This manifested through the number of children she had, the additional children she fostered while raising her children, and the passion she had for family history. She loved to share her stories regarding her latest search for some remote ancestor and how the angels on the other side of the veil helped her. Alaire had a way of making all her grandchildren feel special as though he or she was the only grandchild she had and he or she was all that mattered. Her solid and unwavering testimony and love of our Savior Jesus Christ was the foundation of all she did and an integral part of the remarkable legacy she has left behind.

As a young mother, she spent many years as camp director over what was then called the MIA (now Young Women) and directed many roadshows traveling with the youth in the church. She loved music; especially playing the piano for her family while they sang along. It was one of her greatest joys. There were many years where she would take the family caroling around the neighborhood at Christmas time; spreading Christmas cheer and the spirit of Christ.

She had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and was always reading two or three books. She loved sharing ideas and theorizing. Playing games with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren is something she thoroughly enjoyed, especially when she could win. She continued winning games and beating her posterity at Chinese checkers until the day she passed. She was an immutable force for good in her quiet and unassuming way.

She was preceded in death by husband, Gaylen M. Johnson and two daughters, Margot Bingham and Maralee Smith.

She is survived by 9 of her 11 children, Cynthia Conley (South Jordan, Ut), Claudia Haney (South Jordan, UT), Todd Johnson (Knoxville, TN), Tonja Ethington (Fruit Heights, Utah), Randy Johnson (Orem, UT), Heidi Allan (Lindon, Utah), Aneladee Milne (Louisville, KY), Doyle Johnson (Farmington, UT), Desiree Porter (Washington, UT), 70 grandchildren, 171 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandson.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. at the LDS Ward chapel at 4484 W. Willoughby Dr. South Jordan, Ut 84009

Friends may visit with the family on Friday from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the same address or from 11:00 – 11:45 a.m. prior to the funeral services.