Marilyn Joy Grant Newman

Marilyn “Miki” Joy Grant Newman

(AKA Marilyn Joy Grant)

 November 25, 1930-July 4, 2024

Marilyn “Miki” Joy Grant Newman, 93, of Provo, Utah, passed on peacefully in her home Thursday morning, July 4, 2024. She was born in Portland, Oregon, on November 25, 1930, to Arvin Wright Grant and Kathryn “Kay” Grace Hoag Grant. She was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at age 12.

 After graduating from East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1948, Marilyn graduated from the University of Utah with a major in English and a minor in Philosophy in 1952. After graduation, while flying for United Airlines as a flight attendant, domiciled in New York City, she met her first husband, Allyn Edward Rowley, an officer in the U.S. Navy. They married on December 26, 1953, at Fort Douglas, Salt Lake City, Utah.

 She accompanied him on relocations to his various tours of duty, as a faithful and patriotic U.S. Navy wife. His Naval career took them to Rhode Island, Ohio, and Pennsylvania; Atsugi, Japan, twice; Hill AFB, Utah; and the California cities of San Diego, Long Beach, Monterey, and NAS Lemoore, before Allyn retired from the Navy. They next relocated to La Crescenta and then to Los Alamitos, California, during his second career as a purchasing agent for the public school system.

 Allyn and Miki first had three children, and then, 14 years after their third, two more. She was a loving and dedicated mother and an avid seamstress for her children. She often kept a pet canary and frequently sang while she worked in the kitchen—one of her personal favorites being, “His Eye is On the Sparrow and I Know He Watches Me.”

 It was in Philadelphia in 1962, with Allyn’s agreement, that she invited missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to their home to teach their family. Allyn was baptized and she became reactivated in the Church at that time, after which Marilyn never faltered in her faith. 

 Miki loved literature and she was a “closet poet.” She taught Lamaze Prepared Childbirth and eventually, calligraphy classes in their home. She dabbled in Chinese brush painting. She graduated from California College of Physical Arts and became a licensed massage therapist.

 After her first, 37-year marriage unexpectedly ended in divorce, Marilyn earned her master’s degree in May 1993 at the California Family Studies Center in North Hollywood, California, and became licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist, known for her compassion and sensitivity. 

 She eventually found her way to reside in Provo, Utah. After a brief time providing therapy at EAP, Orem, Utah, she began a private therapy practice from her home, which she continued part-time into her 80’s, and loved pursuing continuing education in the healing arts.

 Miki served in various Church callings, including Relief Society President, Relief Society instructor, and Visiting Teacher. She was instrumental in having much genealogy done with the help of a professional genealogist. While single after her first marriage, she served a mission at the LDS Provo Mission Training Center, helping missionaries improve their literacy. 

 At the age of 74, she became walking buddies with Parley Wright Newman, a widower who lived two doors down from her. Though at first, neither was interested in re-marriage, they eventually fell in love, and married in the Provo Temple of the Church in September 15, 2007. They enjoyed 15 years of marriage together while residing in Parley’s Provo residence. In connection with Parley’s passing at age 98, Marilyn returned to her own home in Provo to live at age 91. 

 Marilyn was known for her frequent, faithful prayers; her love of service; her sharp, witty sense of humor; and, through the eventual disabilities and losses associated with her final years, focusing on the positive and on her continuing gratitude for what she could still do. When asked recently what her life’s purpose was, she thoughtfully replied, “Learning and then living what I’ve learned.” 

 She was able to enjoy sweet, loving, in-person goodbyes with each of her five adult children and many of her grandchildren during the final two weeks of her life. When she was told on 7/3/24 that the next day was the fourth of July, as she lay in home hospice care, she opened her eyes and whispered, “Happy freedom!,” and received it the next morning as she graduated from this life. To her family, she says, “Anytime you are feeling lonely, think of me and know I am thinking of you! I love you!”

 Besides her husband, Parley Newman, Marilyn is also preceded by her parents, her younger brother, Brian F. Grant, and grandson, Collin Kartchner (Elizabeth). She is survived by her children, Kimary Hawley; Katelon Gilbert (Mike); Karyn Grant-Turley (Del); Kristin Ito (Collin); and Joshua Rowley (Amanda). She has 18 grandchildren, and 25 great-grandchildren, and has also enjoyed warm association with many of Parley’s posterity. 

Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at the Edgemont 2nd Ward Chapel, 555 East 3230 North, Provo, Utah. A viewing for family and friends will be held from 9:30-10:30 a.m. before the services at the church. Burial will be at Eastlawn Memorial Hills Cemetery.

Condolences may be expressed to the family on this page.

For those unable to attend the services they will be streamed starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 13, 2024, via Zoom at the following links: 

https://ancestry.zoom.us/j/92101753954?pwd=c3NwejFIdVFhWnRFQUJ2TEVIQ0Qydz09

Meeting ID: 921 0175 3954 Passcode: 236534