David Arthur Bennion passed away on February 15, 2022 at the age of 79, surrounded by his wife and children. David was born March 9, 1942 in St. Anthony, Idaho to Marjorie Owens Johnson and Arthur Estel Johnson. His father passed away when David was a young child and his mother later married Hugh Clark Bennion who became a great father, mentor and example to David. He spent time growing up in Provo, Utah; Minnesota; Iona, Idaho; and Rexburg, Idaho where he graduated from Madison High School in 1960.
David graduated from Rick’s College where he was a Student Body Officer. He then went on to serve a mission in Germany for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Upon returning from Germany, he enrolled at Brigham Young University where he received a bachelor’s degree in German and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a master’s degree in Public Administration. While at BYU, David worked as a teacher and Zone Counselor for the German Speaking Missionaries at the Missionary Training Center; fifty years later he still had people approach him to tell him that he had been their teacher in the MTC. David also later earned bachelor's and master’s degrees in Economics from the University of Utah. David completed a 43 year career with the federal government working for both the Department of Defense and Western Area Power Administration of the Department of Energy.
David’s life changed forever when he attended a church meeting where he saw and heard an angel singing a solo. He introduced himself to this angel, and, almost two years later, on June 2nd, 1967, David and Jill Hollingshead were married for time and all eternity in the St. George Utah Temple.
As an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, David enjoyed serving as a Young Men's President, a High Councilor, a High Priest Group Leader, a Temple Ordinance Worker, and a Bishop–twice. David loved teaching and was known for his powerful and insightful lessons in Sunday school classes and Priesthood Quorums.
He had a love for books, learning and especially his family. Combine all those things together around the dinner table and he was perfectly content. He would describe himself as reflective, disciplined, and quiet. We have a lot more words to describe him, but here are just a few: thoughtful, consistent, dedicated, quietly determined, focused, disciplined, non-judgemental, wise, kind, loving and faithful.
David was preceded in death by his mother, Marjorie Owens Bennion, his father, Arthur Estel Johnson, his adoptive father, Hugh Clark Bennion, his brother Craig Bennion, and his sister Jean Bennion Johnson. He is survived by his loving wife, Jill; his children, Jeffrey (Sara), Christine (Jeremy), Andrea (Michael), Jonathan (Ariane), and Amanda (David); and his grandchildren, Aysia, Gabriel, Damon, Hannah, Asher, Avery, and Eliana.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, February 21, 2022 at 12:00 pm at the Meadowlark Ward building (2180 E Meadowlark Way, Sandy, Utah), with a viewing beginning at 10:45 am. A viewing will also be held on Sunday, February 20, 2022 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm at the Meadowlark Ward building. Interment will be at Sunset Lawn Cemetery in Sandy, Utah.
Funeral Services can also be viewed online at: https://zoom.us/j/97142888846
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Utah Food Bank at www.utahfoodbank.org
