Karen Ann Day Perry

Karen Ann Day Perry was born on February 9, 1956 in Provo Utah, to her loving parents Arthur Croxford Day and V. Joan Day. The third of 8 children, she functioned as the oldest child to her family. The family moved frequently, and she spent her early years in Utah, Hawaii, California, Nevada and Texas, before returning to Provo.

She attended Provo High School and graduated in 1973, before attending Ricks College, and Utah State and finally BYU to study education- focusing on what was then called Home Ec, and now is called Family And Consumer Sciences. She took a respite from her studies to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Milan Italy, where she served faithfully before returning home to Utah and returning to school.

She met her husband Byron Lee Perry while at the Missionary Training Center and they served together in the same mission in Italy. They reconnected while at BYU and married February 15th, 1980 in the Salt Lake Temple, and they also lived all over, in Utah, Idaho, Oklahoma, Missouri and finally back to Utah. Wherever she lived, she was dedicated to her 7 children: Nadia Kareen, Stephanie Ann, Candice Michelle, Spencer Byron (Molly), BriAnne (Blake Ensign), Benson Clyde (Lisa) and Nathan Hunter. She loved being a mother and was dedicated to her family. Her home was always full of good food and fresh bread, whether made by herself or her children who she taught.

There was always music and the piano was rarely dusty. She was always there for us at pinewood derbies, choir recitals, marching band, school plays, parties, picnics, and other adventures. And she was a rock to us through sicknesses, surgeries, tornado drills, adventures, tragedies, births and deaths.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, her life was rooted in her testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. She lived her faith quietly but powerfully—in her kindness, in her service, and in her quiet daily acts of devotion. She taught by example—praying sincerely, serving selflessly, and always pointing others to hope. She put her whole self into every calling she had, whether Relief Society, Young Women’s, Primary or Nursery. I think the only calling she never served in at some point was Elder Quorum President.

She loved all children, and would have done anything she could to help a child in need, whether it be a sandwich, a ride or a hug. She was dedicated to education; of her children and students and almost- everyone she met. Her siblings said that if she had not set the example of going to college, they might not have either. She remained in contact with many of her former students. In letters and notes to her they stated that they loved her classes because they felt seen, and actually felt prepared for life. In her last few years as a teacher, her students won culinary arts competitions, and many got scholarships and internships based on the path shown to them by her.

She was a wonderful mother, and always seemed to know when we needed help versus when we needed to figure things out for ourselves. She was always there for us, and proud of our accomplishments, no matter how small. As our father's health declined, she was there, learning about the disease and how to care for him.

Karen is preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Joan Day, and her sisters, Sherri and Kim Day. She is survived by her loving husband, Byron Perry, her seven children; Nadia Kareen, Stephanie Ann, Candice Michelle, Spencer Byron (Molly), BriAnne (Blake Ensign), Benson Clyde (Lisa) and Nathan Hunter, as well as eleven grandchildren.

Now she’s dead. We will miss her. Oh well.

Funeral Services will be held at the Taylorsville North Stake Center, 3120 W 4700 S, West Valley City on Friday, June 6, 2025 at 1:00 pm. A viewing prior to services will be held at 11:00 am. Interment will follow at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park South Valley, located at 13001 South 3600 West, Riverton, Utah.