Vergean (Gean) Simonson Brady

Our beautiful, loving wife, sister, mother, grandmother and great grandmother Gean Simonson Brady passed away Saturday July 29, 2023 at 3:55 p.m. She departed this earth while under Hospice care in her home in Fruit Heights, Utah and in the presence of her adoring family.

Vergean Simonson Brady was born on August 12, 1952 to Orval N. Simonson and May Lucille Simonson, in Soda Springs, Idaho. She always hated her surname Vergean and much preferred to be called by the name Gean or Geanie. She was the second of three Simonson children coming 4 years after her brother Steve and followed 4 years later by her sister, RoseMarie. She later had a fourth sibling Christie, who her mother raised after Gean had married and left home.

In 1970, Gean married Patrick Thomas Burnham and over the coming years, gave birth to two beautiful children. The first was their son Sean Patrick and three years later, his little sister Jennifer was born. Gean adored being a mother and always credited Pat and his wonderful parents and family for inspiring and encouraging her to go to college and get a degree. Her love of her young children made her professional choice both a natural and easy one; Elementary Education. Gean and Pat divorced around the same time of her graduation from Weber State University in 1980.

Gean married Frank A. Ortega in 1981 and loved and cared for him deeply as he suffered from brain cancer and multiple invasive surgeries to stop its rapid growth.  His daughter Janet and Gean became very close and both had to watch as Frank succumbed to his brain cancer in 1985.

Gean then met her incredibly devoted and loving husband, Alan L. Brady in 1986. They married on June 26, 1987 in Salt Lake County and remained married and devoted to one another for 37 years until Gean’s death in 2023.

Gean lived her childhood in Soda Springs, Idaho. Her family then moved to Bountiful, Utah. After her marriage to Pat, they moved briefly to Albuquerque, New Mexico. They then returned to Davis County until their divorce. Gean continued living in Davis County until moving to Salt Lake County with Frank until his death in 1985. Soon after her marriage to Alan, they moved back to Davis County, living in Bountiful, Farmington and eventually Fruit Heights for the last 37 years of her life.

Gean loved the LDS church values and all of her neighbors and community. She was forever grateful for the decades of spiritual and physical support they offered and provided her and her family.

Gean earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Science and was certified to teach Elementary School children in 1980. Gean loved teaching and it became more than a career to her; it became a calling. Garage sales, Utah-Idaho School Supplies, and Barnes & Noble Book stores became treasure troves for books, visual aids and hands-on props for her Science, Creative Writing, and Utah History units. The countless dollars spent for her students was never an issue as long as she could see the sparkle of learning in her student’s eyes. Gean achieved State certifications to teach gifted and talented students and devoted countless hours to study and to stay ahead of her brilliant young charges. Gean also continued her personal educational goals and earned her Master degree in 1991 from Weber State University. Gean continued working as an educator until 2015, when she retired with 32 years of service.

Gean is survived by her husband, Alan L. Brady, her daughter Janet Ortega Higley, and her husband Mark and their five children, Ian, Eric, Alex, Tessa, and Frank, her son Sean P. Burnham and his wife Kelli, and their six kids, McKenna, Demi, Tiffany, Kaitlin, Dawson and Ryker, and her youngest daughter Jennifer and her four children, Perry (Turbo), Lexie, Britain and Kanyon, and Kanyon’s wonderful father Tyson and his other two sons, Trenton and Stockton. She is also survived by Alan’s daughter Lydia Hatch Ellis, her husband Eric, and their four children, Erin, Annie, Calvin and Jack.

Gean is preceded in death by her adoring 2^nd husband Frank A Ortega, her older brother Steven Simonson and his lovely wife and family friend, Caroline, her sweet mother May Lucille Berdorf, and her father Orval N. Simonson, and son-in-law, Perry C. Grant.

Besides Teaching, Gean so loved her family. Alan and her created life-long memories for all of their extended family with their legendary parties held on the 4th of July and at Christmas. She loved animals and pets, Children, of course, Poetry, Books, Pressed flowers, Boating and Camping and every person she ever met. She never had a mean bone in her body and would always forgive and forget, no matter how many times she was wronged or disparaged. She made friends with everyone and always left you feeling loved and appreciated. She was her family’s security blanket and a soft place to land, and life will seem harder and colder for a while now she’s gone.

Gean’s family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the angelic people that work at Enhabit Hospice and the Fairfield Rehabilitation Unit. Gean came to know and love so many of you that it’s hard to give you all the credit you deserve in this forum. She was so appreciative of your empathy and hard work while she was under your care.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, August 3, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at Lindquist’s Kaysville Mortuary, 400 N. Main St., Kaysville, Utah.  Friends may visit with family Wednesday August 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Thursday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the mortuary prior to the service.

Interment, Kaysville City Cemetery.

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