Jacquelyn Rae Pagni

Jacquelyn Rae Pagni, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother passed away peacefully, after a hard-fought battle with cancer, in her Salt Lake City home on April 17, 2025. Jackie was born on November 5,1942 in Salt Lake City, Utah to parents Ray and Shirley Russell. She graduated from Highland High School in 1961 and attended classes at the University of Utah. In 1975, Jackie went to work for Surety Life Insurance Company and met Ken Pagni, her love and companion, and they had a lifelong marriage of thirty-eight years. Jackie was the soul of her home and family and especially to her three children, Scott, 62, Jeffrey, 58, and Heidi, 53. As mom, she cherished her relationships with her children.

In 1979, Jackie and her family moved to Atlanta, Georgia for work opportunities for her husband, Ken. It was in Atlanta; after trying many jobs (and she would have told you there were many) that Jackie acquired her real estate license in 1984. When her family had a chance to move back out west from Atlanta, she could not have been happier. Arriving in Scottsdale, Arizona, she obtained her broker's license and went full steam ahead in real estate.

Jackie broke many glass ceilings in the real estate business, including top sales agent in the state of Arizona for several years as an Associate Broker for Remax Real Estate Company in Scottsdale. Jackie continued to climb the professional ladder and in 1999, she established Platinum Plus Properties as Broker/Owner, where she, along with her husband Ken, had a very successful business. Jackie was not your ordinary real estate broker. Jackie loved helping people find the perfect home, establishing relationships and friendships that extended to lifelong friends.

In 2017, Jackie left Arizona and moved back to Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah was the place she missed and loved the most while living in Georgia and Arizona. After being gone for 43 years, she decided it was time to come back home. It was not an easy decision to leave Arizona as half of her children and grandchildren still live there. She always said that coming back to Utah was truly coming back home.

Back in Utah, she rekindled and formed many great friendships in her later years. She wanted to be fully involved in her life from hiking in the beautiful mountains of Utah, playing tennis and pickleball with her friends, attending art classes, playing Mahjong and spending time with her family and many friends. And she had true love for her dog, Molly.

Jackie is preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Pagni and her parents, Ray and Shirley Russell. Jackie is survived by her three children, G. Scott Ford, Jeffrey M. Ford (Alisha), Heidi R Gordon (Floyd). Grandchildren Anothy James Ford (Shelby), Tyson Chase and Sydney Vanessa Ford, Rylee Morgan Ford, and Andrew Dane Ford. And her three great grandchildren, Drayden, Remi and Dezi Ford. She is also survived by her brother Kenny (Linda) and sister Suzanne.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 10th at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary from 1 to 4 pm. In lieu of flowers, Jackie’s wishes were for donations to the Huntsman Cancer Research Institute.