Blaine Turner Hudson

Blaine was a successful businessman, Church leader, Mission President, humanitarian, collector, master gardener, and world traveler. He lived a charmed life and touched the lives of countless people with his warmth and engaging personality.

From a humble start as a hard-working young man, he built a powerful printing business and left an enduring legacy of craftsmanship and integrity. He cared deeply for his customers and colleagues and treated everyone with respect. He was inducted into the Utah Printers Hall of Fame in 2010.

Blaine was a deeply spiritual man who spent endless hours in service of others. He served as the Bishop of the East Millcreek Second Ward for many years. Perhaps most of all, he felt great satisfaction in sharing the Gospel with others. Together with his wife Barbara, he served two missions, the first to Ireland and the second as the President of the Anaheim California Mission. Serving side-by-side with his missionaries gave him great joy.

He loved to experience new places and thrilled at the opportunity to explore this beautiful planet and the people spread across the face of it – even (perhaps especially) in its most remote corners. He made friends wherever he went and taught us how to accept and appreciate new experiences, peoples, and cultures. We always heeded his call of “Let’s went!” or “Let’s get this show on the road!” and were never disappointed by what we discovered along the way. Whether Canyonlands or Timbuktu, he has always been our guide and leader.

Though not always visible to the outside observer, for us Dad’s goofy sense of humor and silly behavior was the very essence of who he was and why we loved him so much. Deeply embedded in our own individual family cultures now are his silly sayings (we call them “Blaine-isms”) and his hilarious mannerisms. Even into his nineties, he never lost the mischievous nature that led him into so much trouble as a child and he usually behaved as one of the kids. We’ll always remember the bucking “Horse” rides on our way to bed, the dreaded “Dry Shave,” jumping from bed to bed avoiding the “Alligator” and the ever-entertaining “Touch you last” game. He was always stealing our last bite of desert by claiming to see something outside the window or creating some other sort of trouble and then getting out of any retribution by exclaiming “watch out for the toe!” or “oh, my glasses!” We fell for it over and over because we wanted to … we enjoyed the game just as much as he did. Because of this “unique” personality, he knew just how much and how often to embarrass us, and he always kept us laughing, together. He was such a fun Dad and Granddad and we will desperately miss his warm greetings and infectious smile.

More than anything he loved his Sweetheart of nearly 73 years. High School sweethearts became life-long soulmates and the parents of eight children. He never stopped worrying after her needs and comforts and together they have been the perfect model of caring affection and enduring love. Kisses, hand-holding, and playful banter have been the constants in their relationship. Their family legacy has grown to 130 across four generations.

Since large gatherings are not possible at this time, please honor Blaine by sending a note of your memories of him to one of the family members or by enjoying an enormous bowl of ice cream eaten with the largest spoon you can find.

We miss you Dad.