John Harold Monson

John Harold Monson returned to his heavenly home on Friday, January 16, 2026, at the age of 85. He and his twin brother, James were born on November 25, 1940, to Ephraim Venzel Monson and Mildred Arlene Nelson. He was a deeply devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

John was a great storyteller, and loved to tell captivating stories to his children and grandchildren. He would tell about his adventurous childhood and the mischief he would get into, which usually left them laughing or in complete disbelief.

John served as a Buck Sgt. in the United States Army Troop 19 Special Forces as a Paratrooper. He later transferred to the Artillery Division. He told some very entertaining and hilarious stories about some of his military experiences!

He met the love of his life, Dianna Caroline Loscher in 1961, in which their courtship lasted for three years. They were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple on May 15th, 1964. They shared a life full of love and laughter together.

John was a hard worker and loved working in his garden. He loved being outdoors. He enjoyed taking his family on vacations, going camping, boating, or having fun, family adventures that would sometimes be unintended. Family was the most important thing to John. He was always there to support them for the important events in their lives.

His playful and sometimes mischievous nature drove him to play humorous, unique, and harmless pranks on those he loved. He would put items in your drink if you weren't paying attention, or make you a sandwich with holes in the middle. He was quite the jokester. He definitely kept his family on their toes.

John devoted his life to loving and serving others. He was faithful in his church callings as a minister as well as a scout leader, which he loved. He was always there to lend a hand whenever anyone needed help. If there was a job or project to get done, he didn't like leaving it partially completed. He would often do whatever it took to complete what he set out to accomplish.

Some of his most memorable phrases that were sure to get a good chuckle were, “dirty pig” typically used when he was frustrated with something, or “don't tell your mom” so she wouldn’t worry, or to spare the children/grandchildren from getting in trouble, and “I'm over 21, I can do what I want.” Other fond memories of him were when he would make his “special” Kool-Aid with extra sugar, or when he would “nuke” his ice cream in the microwave for a few seconds before eating it. He will be greatly missed, but forever treasured.

John is survived by his eternal wife Dianna, four children: Kristine (Trent) Michels, Mitch (Libby), Brian (Amy), and Matt (Abbie), twelve grandchildren: Kaylyn, Trevor, Kimberly, Sam, Nate, Eli, Talitha, Jairus, Zacharias, Silas, Kara, and Logan, and two great-grandchildren: Emerson and Luka.

A Celebration of Life mingle will take place on January 31, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Valley View Funeral Home, located at 4335 W. 4100 S. in West Valley City, followed by a family graveside service at 12:30 p.m.