Stephen Eugene Clayson

Stephen Eugene Clayson, M.D., 71, of Salt Lake City, passed away on Friday, March 13, 2026, at his home, surrounded by his family, following a battle with cancer. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a highly respected cardiothoracic surgeon.

Stephen was born on March 22, 1954, in Sheridan, Wyoming, the fourth and youngest child of Eli Karl Clayson and Beulah Memmott Clayson. He grew up in Orem, Utah, where he developed an abiding faith, a relentless curiosity, and a sense of humor that never left him. He graduated from Orem High School in 1972, having served on the debate team and as a member of the a cappella choir.

He served faithfully as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the California Sacramento Mission from 1973 to 1975. During his mission, his parents were called to preside over the Germany Frankfurt Mission, and at the conclusion of his service he spent the summer with them in Frankfurt, an experience he treasured for the rest of his life.

He returned to Brigham Young University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1978 with a degree in zoology and a minor in chemistry, and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Eta Sigma, and Alpha Epsilon Delta honor societies. He earned his medical degree from the University of Utah School of Medicine in 1982 as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society. He completed his surgical residency through the Harvard Surgical Program at the New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston, and his cardiothoracic fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta.

On August 24, 1977, Stephen was sealed for time and all eternity to Sandra Graff in the Salt Lake Temple. Together they built a marriage of nearly 49 years, raising four children and traveling the world side by side. He loved his children deeply, and his grandchildren, Emme and Ollie.

Dr. Clayson returned to Salt Lake City on July 1, 1991, after thirteen years of training, to begin a career that would span for decades at Intermountain Medical Center. He was a founding contributor to the Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) program for patients with advanced heart failure and pioneered minimally invasive mitral valve repair techniques that restored full lives to many patients. In December 1995, he performed the first minimally invasive lung reduction surgery in the state of Utah. He was a published researcher, an adjunct faculty member of the University of Utah School of Medicine, and a co-author on landmark studies in cardiothoracic surgery. He was, by every measure, a healer of rare skill and uncommon devotion to his patients.

He served faithfully in many capacities in the church. His most beloved church service by his own account was teaching Gospel Doctrine and serving in the Salt Lake and Jordan River Temples.

Beyond medicine, Stephen was a passionate photographer. His passion grew from taking pictures of the family on vacation, to becoming a national award-winning photographer of landscapes and nightscapes, spending hours in the dark with his Nikon aimed at nebulae and galaxies invisible to the naked eye. He loved firearms, gospel study, and sports, particularly BYU and the Utah Jazz.

Stephen is survived by his beloved wife, Sandra Graff Clayson; his children: Stephen Eli Clayson (Robert), Melinda Clayson Guia (Ricardo), Peter Eugene Clayson (Kelsi), and Joseph Daniel Clayson; his grandchildren, Emmeline Cora and Oliver Quinn; and his siblings, Karl Reno Clayson and Karen Clayson Batt.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Eli Karl Clayson and Beulah Memmott Clayson, and his brother, Fred Eli Clayson.

Friends and family are invited to a viewing on Friday, March 20, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at 4551 South 1200 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84117.

Interment will follow at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park in the Magnolia Estates section.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Granite Education Foundation in Dr. Clayson's memory. https://secure.qgiv.com/for/tributestephenclayson/