Joann Alston Killpack

Her life started in Lehi, Utah on May 29, 1929, the eldest of the four children of Hannah Pearl Southwick and Ray Lester Alston. Born with a love of animals, she endured a life of living with a severe allergy to all animals that produce pet dander.

Joann graduated from South High School and went on to attend classes at the University of Utah. Her first job was working as a clerk at the old Tithing Office on Temple Square. Later, she worked for Lennox Furnace Company, enabling her to help replace the old fashioned, coal-fired furnace in her family home with a much safer modern furnace. Her college career was interrupted when she started dating a boy whose family lived up the street from her. On June 16, 1949, in the Salt Lake Temple, she married Larry Movell Killpack, also a student at the University of Utah, enrolled in the Aviation Cadet Program. Larry was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the newly-formed United States Air Force upon graduation, and Joann embarked on a 30-year career as a military wife, which took her family to many areas of the country and the world. She took flying lessons and reached the point where she successfully soloed. She worked as the secretary in the University of Texas at Austin’s Institute of Religion, and earlier drove a 35-foot school bus with skill, safely delivering her students to and from school each morning and afternoon. She wrote and published music, and later in life, she became an entrepreneur, founding Sterling Limousine in Salt Lake City. Joann enjoyed reading, writing poetry, board games, needle-point, as well as being a gifted artist with stained-glass. She also was an avid water-skier, learning to ski on both double and single skis on Lake Mead, early in her married life. She skied throughout her active life, until she skied for the final time in 2009, at age 80.

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As a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Joann’s testimony of her Savior Jesus Christ and the restored gospel was unwavering, a product of her strong pioneer ancestry. She was an enthusiastic den mother, Primary teacher and Relief Society visiting teacher. Always active, she was careful to always maintain a current temple recommend, and she actively participated in a Zoom Family Home Evening with her entire family each Monday night, right up until her passing on Pioneer Day.

Joann is survived by her three children, son Larry Steven (Linda), daughter Lorraine (Susan), and son Kevin Ray (Celeste), a sister Celia (Frank III) Cutler, and a brother, Harold Alston. Nine grandchildren, Jennifer (John) Wester, Randall (Olinda), Michael, Stephanie, Cheri (Steve) Krogman, Michael (Carla) Shanks, Grant, Bradley (Daphne), and Griffin. Seven great-grandsons, and one great-granddaughter. She loved each and every one of them, always remembering a card and some money for their birthdays.

She was preceded in death by her husband Larry, a son John Marvin, a sister Gayle Chapman, and two nieces and a nephew: Connie Hoglund, Aimee Cutler and Daniel Cutler.

The family wants to give special recognition to the caregivers from Bright Star Home Health Care, Harmony Home Health and Hospice, Holladay Health Care, and Stonehenge of South Jordan, who helped her in her final months. We also thank Pam Cochran, who was such a special friend to her in her last years.

A graveside service will be held at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park on Friday, August 1, 2025, at 12:00 noon, where she will be interred.