July 17, 1935- July 31, 2018
Our gentle and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother Kaye Beesley Watkins (83) passed from this mortal life on Tuesday July 31, 2018 as a result of causes incident to age. She was born in Bingham, Utah to James B. Beesley and Lula Parrish Beesley. She married Richard C. Watkins in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on Nov. 27, 1957.
Kaye was an accomplished pianist having graduated from the McCune School of Music. She was also a graduate of East High School, Class of 1953, where she was the principal piano accompanist for the A’Cappella Choir, school assemblies and other special musical performing groups.
Kaye graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in elementary education and a minor in music. At the “U” she was an officer in the US Air Force Sponsor Corps. She taught school in the public school system for 20 years prior to retiring.
Kaye was blessed with a firm and abiding testimony of her Heavenly Father and her Savior. She demonstrated her love by faithful service in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in many of its organizations. She particularly enjoyed 10 years of service as an ordinance worker in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.
Together with her husband, she served 2 full time missions. One in the Michigan Detroit Mission for 2 years and the other in the Johannesburg South Africa LDS Temple for 18 months. She dearly loved her temple service.
Kaye and Richard have four children, two sons and two daughters to whom she was a devoted and loving mother. Home and family were a sacred and special focus in her life and she was grateful and delighted to be a wife and mother.
She will be dearly missed, but we understand the great principle of being together with family through the eternities.
She is survived by her husband of 60 years Richard, Son Kevin (Allyssen) Watkins of Mill Valley California, Janet (Brad) Salters of Pasco Washington, Julie (Doug) Nelson of Deweyville Utah, Carleton (Ondraya) Watkins of Salt Lake City, Utah, sisters, Mary Lou Strasser and Marsha Quist. 18 Grandchildren and 13 Great Grandchildren. She was proceeded in death by her parents.
The viewings will be held at the Wasatch Hills LDS Ward, 2255 South Wasatch Drive, on Wednesday August 8, 2018 from 6:00-8:00 pm and Thursday August 9, 2018 from 9:30-10:30 am, with the funeral to follow at 11:00 am.
Interment will be at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 Highland Drive Salt Lake City, Utah
A special thank you to Josie, Ana and IHC Hospice for the kindness and loving care of our wife, mother and grandmother.