In Memoriam

Remembering Latter-day Saint Artists We Lost in 2025

“First we only want to be seen, but once we’re seen, that’s not enough anymore. After that, we want to be remembered.” — Canadian author Emily St. John Mandel

Introduction

In 2025, we lost Latter-day Saint artists whose lives and works merit special remembrance. They include representatives of many creative fields: fashion design, songwriting, fine art music, interior design, textile art, photography, costuming, painting, quilting, history, political cartooning, filmmaking, fiction, poetry, sculpture, and more. 

In their lifetime, some of these artists earned accolades like Pulitzer Prizes and found success recognized by best sellers lists, public monuments, and gold records sales, while others worked with quieter results. Many were artists but also were teachers, politicians, and religious leaders, and they labored in assorted other day jobs. Of particular note were a sizable number of Church leaders, including President Russell M. Nelson, who added numerous books to their legacies of service. You will all be remembered. That is the great legacy of being an artist, isn’t it? To create something from nothing is to waltz with immortality.

We acknowledge that we have certainly missed additional LDS artists from all over the world, and we invite you to share with us the names of LDS creative artists who passed away in 2025. We love them all. As William Shakespeare wrote in Sonnet 55, “So, till the judgment that yourself arise, You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes.”

Ann Garrett

Writer, painter (1934-2025)

https://starksfuneral.com/obituary/ann-garrett-artist-and-writer/

Douglas Goodrich

Songwriter (1991-2025)

https://www.andersonmortuary.com/obituaries/douglas-goodrich

Hannah Clark Goodson

Visual artist (1993-2025)

https://www.memorialutah.com/obituaries/hannah-goodson

Carolee Curtis Green

Composer (1940-2025)

https://www.memorialutah.com/obituaries/carolee-green

Dennis Donald Griffin

Composer (1943-2025)

https://www.wingmortuary.com/obituary/dennis-griffin

Gregory John Griffiths

Interior designer (1951-2025)

https://www.goffmortuary.com/obituaries/gregory-griffiths

D. Ben Hansen

Artist (1935-2025)

https://www.hawkerfuneralhome.com/obituaries/D-Ben-Hansen?obId=40113248

George Dee Hardman

Poet (1942-2025)

https://www.walkersanderson.com/obituaries/George-Dee-Hardman?obId=42532011

Jean Bernice Jensen Hendricksen

Author (1919-2025)

https://www.larkinmortuary.com/obituary/view/jean-bernice-hendricksen/

Sally Rue Hopkinson

Quilter, costumer (1935-2025)

https://www.wheelermortuaries.com/obituaries/sally-hopkins

Elaine L. Jack

Author, General Relief Society President (1928-2025)

https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2025/06/11/elaine-l-jack-obituary-12th-relief-society-general-president-dies/

Rachel Day Patience

Composer (1931-2025)

https://www.larkinmortuary.com/obituary/view/rachel-laree-patience/

Joy Smith Peterson

Choreographer (1927-2025)

https://www.larkinmortuary.com/obituary/view/joy-smith-peterson/

Louise Plummer

Author (1942-2025)

https://www.associationmormonletters.org/2025/03/in-memoriam-louise-plummer/

Susan Alice Price-Hood

Artist (1941-2025)

https://www.larkinmortuary.com/obituary/view/susan-alice-hood/

Christina Abigail Rausch

Author (1997-2025)

https://www.utahsimplecremations.com/obituaries/view/183/

Shirley Russon Ririe

Choreographer (1929-2025)

https://www.larkinmortuary.com/obituary/view/shirley-russon-ririe-/

Eric Kelly Roberts

Poet (1969-2025)

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/eric-roberts-obituary?id=58755255

Robert George Robison

Songwriter (1954-2025)

https://www.larkinmortuary.com/obituary/view/robert-george-robison/

David Henry Sargent

Composer (1941-2025)

https://www.wheelermortuaries.com/obituaries/david-sargent

Lionel Lee Shurtleff

Songwriter (1945-2025)

https://www.lovelandfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/Lionel-Lonnie-Lee-Shurtleff?obId=42955787

John Kent Smeding

Artist (1948-2025)

https://www.premierfuneral.com/obituaries/john-smeding/#!/Obituary

Scott Smith

Monument designer (1944-2025)

https://www.utahvalleyfuneral.com/obituaries/Scott-Smith?obId=37277314

Afton Loveless Carlson Smith

Quilter (1925-2025)

https://www.memorialutah.com/obituaries/afton-smith

Larry G. Smith

Composer (1937-2025)

https://www.allenmortuaries.net/obituaries/larry-smith

Mary Ellen Smoot

Author, General Relief Society President (1933-2025)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ellen_W._Smoot

Carol Ballantyne Gaines Spencer

Artist (1934-2025)

https://www.larkinmortuary.com/obituary/view/carol-ballantyne-spencer-/

Stephen Kent Thomas

Author (1949-2025)

https://www.larkinmortuary.com/obituary/view/stephen-kent-thomas/

Walter James Thomas

Artist (1928-2025)

https://www.premierfuneral.com/obituaries/walter-thomas-32/#!/Obituary

Jeffrey Tolk

Poet (1963-2025)

https://nelsonmortuary.com/obituaries/jeffrey-tolk

Julia Angela Valerius

Artist (1971-2025)

https://mortuary.org/obituaries/julia-angela-valerius

Susan Lorena Thomas Wyler

Author (1945-2025)

https://www.spilsburymortuary.com/obituaries/susan-wyler

Paul Joseph Young

Writer (1952-2025)

https://www.wheelermortuaries.com/obituaries/paul-young

Madyson Ysasaga

Artist (1992-2025)

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/katy-tx/madyson-ysasaga-12361861