Nancy Afton Holmes

In Loving Memory of Nancy Afton Holmes who passed away on April 11, 2023. She leaves behind her son Zach Holmes, his wife JaNae Holmes, and their kids: Abigail, Logan, Lilly, Kiptyn, and Asher, as well as her son Colby Holmes and his kids Jamie, Camrie, and Hunter. She was preceded in death by her Husband Ron Holmes just a short seven months ago. For these high school sweethearts, it’s a wonderful thing they can be back together.

Nancy was born to Robert and Afton Myrtle Wilson on December 28, 1951. She was the only girl with 3 brothers: Jimmy, Johny and Charles. She grew up in the Granger area where she met Ron and the two of them fell in love and were married in Nancy’s parents’ back yard on August 18, 1971, during a leave of duty that Ron was on. They then moved to Hawaii where Ron was stationed and made some wonderful lifelong friends while Ron served in the Navy. They loved the beach, having dinner with friends and playing in the water. From there they moved back home to Utah and started their family, having Zach in ‘76 and Colby in ‘78, built their log cabin on 3100 south and started to make new memories as a family. There they started to go back to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in which they were both previously baptized in and were later sealed together in the Jordan River Temple with their children on April 5, 1983, one of their happiest moments that they brought up all the time.

Nancy loved to work in the yard, practice her aim with the bow, and to help out the people in her ward and neighborhood. She served as Relief Society president, in the genealogy center, and many other callings while they were there. She spent much of her time shuttling the boys to soccer practice and games on the daily, she worked various jobs when she was able to but her favorite was wrapping presents and doing inventory for Deseret Book.

Nancy loved animals and always had a few favorites like Geegee that she brought back from Hawaii, Whiskers the cat that she adopted before it could open its eyes, Happy the not so happy bird, and Spike the dog that we got from Uncle Bob that she trained to get the big grasshoppers in the back yard when she was toiling away on her rose bushes. Ron and Nancy would go everywhere together. You’d find them camping, visiting friends and family, playing games and enjoying life, traveling here and there just to see the sites but mainly to visit family. Over their long years together they spent many days camping, hunting, fishing, shooting guns, using their bows and arrows, riding four wheelers, riding horses, playing on the boat, watching way too much soccer with their sons, going to family reunions, and, of course, doing plenty of eating. Not sure there ever was an event that didn’t include some form of food.

Nancy was one of the most kind, thoughtful, considerate, service minded woman. There were many times that she would get Ron and go give blessings to those she felt impressed by the Spirit to do so. There were also many Christmases that we would go drop off secret Santa stuff to those that needed it, or thanksgiving groceries, meals to those that just had a baby or sick family member. She was so happy to help when and where she could. She had a deep testimony of Jesus Christ and wanted to show the love she had for Him in her actions and wanted others to feel His love for them too.

Can't say it was always hearts and flowers, but they stuck together and worked things out. Nancy developed dementia over time and Ron took care of her the best he could until his passing. Nancy always loved to see her grandkids and would usually greet them with a smile. She was so happy to have so many little granddaughters to spoil and would often get them little princess things or lots of treats for them to have when they came around. The treats never changed but the type of clothes did when the grandsons came but we knew how much grandma loved having all her grandchildren around.

There will be a viewing for Nancy on the evening of April 20, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Then, on Friday the 21st there will be a viewing from 11 to 11:45 followed by the funeral at Noon at Valley View Funeral Home. The location of Valley View Memorial Park and Funeral Home is 4335 West 4100 South, West Valley City, Utah 84120. All services will be held there, and the graveside service will be at Valley View Memorial Park next to the funeral home. There we will get to celebrate the life and story of Nancy Afton Holmes. Please join us in celebrating her.

If you would like to donate flowers and mementos, you can contact her son Zach or the funeral home.