Scott Smedley

Scott Brunson Smedley

Scott Brunson Smedley, 71, passed away September 10, 2021, at his home in Layton, Utah, after a valiant battle with Parkinson’s disease with Lewy body dementia. He was born in Ogden, Utah on April 21, 1950, to Dale Thurgood Smedley and Helen Delell Brunson Smedley. He grew up in Syracuse, Utah and attended Syracuse Elementary and North Davis Junior High. He went to Clearfield High for four months, until the family moved to the Highlands in Mountain Green, Utah, where he then attended Morgan High, graduating in 1968. He was involved in extracurricular activities, including performing in the high school musicals, captain of the basketball team, punter on the football team, Senior Class Vice President, and was voted Sweater King.

He was also an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After high school, he served among some of the first missionaries in Singapore and Thailand in the newly created Southeast Asia Mission from 1969-1971. After his mission, he worked for the family business, Smedley Development. He attended a singles ward in Ogden, Utah, where he met his sweetheart, Juliet Chlarson. He was Elders Quorum President, and she was Relief Society President. They were married in the Ogden Utah Temple on March 29, 1974. They would go on to have six children – two boys and four girls.

For the majority of his career, he worked for Beneficial Life Insurance Company and earned trips to various places in and out of the United States, some of which he would bring his whole family on - a favorite being to the church history sites in New York, Hill Cumorah and Nauvoo. He and his sweetheart also went to places such as Mexico, England, Austria, Canada, and Australia.

He served in various church callings, such as elders quorum president, stake high counselor, Bishop of Layton 4th Ward, counselor in Stake Presidency, counselor in YSA ward, Boy Scout leader and Mission President of the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission. He loved scouting and earned his Silver Beaver. He helped encourage many boys to earn their Eagle Scout Award. He was also a temple ordinance worker and a very faithful home teacher/ministering brother. In all these assignments, he touched the lives of many with his love and concern for everyone. He always went after “the one” and brought them back to the fold.

He was also a goal setter. He accomplished such goals as getting up at 5:30 am to study the scriptures every day for years - one year he set a goal to read all the Standard Works in a year’s time and he did! He was also very determined to stay healthy. In 2000 he set a goal to bike 2000 miles, which he did. Another time he made his goal to bike every street in Davis County, which he also accomplished. When he set his mind to do something, he could do anything.

He was known for his hard work ethic. He would work and care for their yard on Saturdays, spending the majority of the day fixing sprinklers, pruning trees, mowing the yard, weeding, planting or caring for a garden, etc.

He also loved to serve. While serving as a mission President in Cambodia and Vietnam, it wasn’t uncommon for him to give the tie off his neck to invite someone back to church, or to roll out the red carpet for his missionaries, polish their shoes, or go biking with them throughout the city to their appointments.

He was fun loving, told great stories, and had a great sense of humor and quick to come up with puns. He had a distinct whistle of a meadowlark, and his kids always knew where to find him. He could also wiggle his cheeks rapidly and play Baby Elephant Walk like no one’s business. He made homemade bread for neighbor Christmas gifts and also enjoyed doing challenging puzzles during the holidays. He loved spending time with family and friends, and they loved spending time with him.

He will be missed sorely, but we are so grateful that in heaven he can now do all the things that Parkinson’s with Lewy bodies robbed him of. He fought to the bitter end but never got bitter. He was a true servant of Christ and will be a wonderful angel in heaven.

He is survived by his wife, Juliet Chlarson Smedley, and six children: Varci (Kevin) Figuerres, Centerville, UT; Jenny (Jared) Jaggi, Grassy Butte, ND, Benjamin (Holly) Smedley, Plain City, UT, Polly (Jordan) Arey, Logan, UT, Kali (Taylor) Hoenes, Nibley, UT, David (Camille) Smedley, Layton, UT. His posterity includes 25 grandchildren. He is also survived by six siblings, Terry (Sue), Marilyn (Richard), Craig (Jana), Melanie (Kelly), Lori (Scott), Muu (Kosy). He was preceded in death by his parents Dale and Helen Smedley, his in-laws Varsel and Ruth Chlarson, his brothers-in-law Rex Chlarson, Bart Chlarson, and Steve Bjornn, and cousin Jerold Smedley.

The family would like to express gratitude to the staff at Symbii Hospice, with special thanks to Shaylee and Miriam for their tender care and service.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 18, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at the Layton Utah Creekside Stake Center, 1480 Phillips Street, Kaysville, Utah.(on the corner of Phillips and Flint Street.)  Friends may visit with family Friday from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 No. Fairfield Rd., Layton, Utah and Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church.

Interment, Mountain Green Cemetery, Mountain Green, Utah.

Services will be live-streamed and may be viewed by going to www.lindquistmortuary.com and scrolling to the bottom of Scott’s obituary page.

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