May 31, 1930-Aug. 27, 2022
Evelyn Hansen Fugate, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully at age 92 in St. George, Utah on Aug. 27, 2022. She was attended by family and caring hospital staff at the St. George IHC Hospital after contracting pneumonia.
She was born May 31, 1930, at her home in Palmyra, Utah to Finley Reed Hansen and Catherine Johnson Hansen. With great joy and anticipation, Evelyn looked forward to being reunited with her husband, Ralph, and special daughter, Sherrie Lyn, and with them in mind, she looked forward to the next chapter of her life and return to her Heavenly Father and other deceased family members and friends.
Evelyn loved her family with a passion and with interest in hearing of any-and-all accomplishments and activities. Her posterity loved her dearly and shared their lives and photos with her regularly. This love was demonstrated in part by several of her granddaughters being named after her. She is preceded in death by Ralph, Sherrie, son-in-law Bruce Nell, parents, all siblings, and many other family and friends. She was the last of her family’s generation.
She is survived by her children Karen (Bruce) Nell, Pam (Larry) Wilkins, Richard (Teresa) Fugate, 10 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren plus twins, yet-to-be born.
She was raised in Palmyra, Utah, and attended school in Spanish Fork and BYU. She loved life and was a perpetual optimist and always believed the best in everyone and everything – to her, life truly was “just wonderful.” She loved being a mother, homemaker and grandmother. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She and Ralph were sealed in the Manti temple on June 4, 1963.
She was a leader in Primary for many years and was instrumental in creating the first Primary for mentally handicapped children, having worked with the LDS Primary General Board in developing the program and becoming its first president. She was also instrumental in developing the first school for special needs children in Utah County working with BYU leadership to develop a program, the BYU Demonstration School, and moving successively from modest accommodations to the Oakridge School building adjacent to campus. She was supportive of local politics and led numerous charitable events in Utah County. Because of her involvement in the community, she was featured in “Flowers for the Living” in the Spanish Fork Press.
Following their retirement, Ralph and Evelyn were snowbirds spending two months every winter in Arizona and St. George. They loved to travel with family and friends and saw much of the U.S. including five trips to Hawaii. They loved St. George and eventually moved there from their home in Palmyra.
A graveside Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m. on Sept. 24, 2022, at the Spanish Fork, Utah, Cemetery. Family and friends are welcome to attend.
Arrangements are under the care of Pine View Mortuary, 435-986-4222. Visit the Pine View Mortuary website for full obituary and funeral service listing.