Elaine Kennard

Elaine Kennard passed away on May 31 at the age of 84. She was born Edith Elaine Smith to B.H. Smith and Ruth Arena Smith on December 30, 1941, in Broadhead, Kentucky, but she lived out most of her days in Utah. Elaine was a beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, friend, and teacher. She will be lovingly remembered by every family member, student, colleague, and friend whose life she made more rich and fulfilling through her generosity, humor, and adventurous spirit.

Elaine spent her early childhood in Kentucky before her family moved to an apple farm in Yakima, Washington. Her parents earned their living working the farm while Elaine’s father taught sixth grade at a school in Selah. Later in life, Elaine would often tell stories of life on the farm, and she frequently made pilgrimages back to the place with her children and grandchildren.

When Elaine was still a farmgirl in Washington, her father welcomed missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints into their home one evening. Elaine was then baptised into the LDS church in 1952 at the age of 11. She remained in the church until her death, and she dutifully served several callings in Young Women’s and Primary leadership for various wards.

Throughout her life, Elaine valued education, and she believed that fostering intelligence and creativity in young people made the world a better place. Elaine went to college at Brigham Young University where she studied elementary education. Eventually, she followed in her father’s footsteps by becoming a teacher, and she taught at several grade schools throughout the state of Utah. Many of her students were so fond of her that they would return to visit her once they had grown up and introduce her to their families. Even a few of Elaine’s grandchildren were lucky enough to have her for a teacher while they were in elementary school.

In December of 1966, Elaine married Lee Kennard in the Logan, Utah, temple. Together, they had three daughters and three sons before their divorce in 1997. A few weeks before Elaine passed away, one of her grandchildren asked Elaine what she considered the best decision she ever made. She replied that it was her decision to have children. Elaine also helped each of her children start their own families through unconditional financial support and many hours spent babysitting. The walls of her own homes were always decorated with custom calendars which featured pictures of her kids and grandkids. These calendars were lovingly put together every year by her daughter in law, Brandalyn.

Another of Elaine’s great passions was playing games with her neighbors, her friends, and her family. And while she could be a shameless cheater, her rule-bending was almost always an attempt to keep the game going and ensure that everyone was having a good time. During games of Pinochle or Hand and Foot, Elaine would refer to slipping another player (opponent or teammate) the cards their hand required as “going to the cupboard.”

Elaine had a restless love for adventure, and she took many of her grandchildren on their first trips to Disneyland. She was also fond of long road trips to Lake Powell, Wendover, the California coast, the family farm in Washington, and whatever state her progeny were living in. She could even make relatively short drives to “Wally World” fun adventures for her grandchildren.

Elaine had an insatiable sweet tooth; she always had a Diet Coke in her hands and a pack of gum for sharing in her purse. Her pantry was reliably well-stocked with cookies, candy, Peachy-Os, and other treats for her grandchildren, which earned her the moniker “goodie grandma.” She was also immensely fond of taking her family out to eat on her dime, and she took the whole clan to Chuck-A-Rama on the weekends so often that the restaurant became known as “Chuck-A-Grandma” within the family.

Elaine was also a prolific reader, and she read widely from authors like Robert Jordan, Leon Uris, and Stephen King (one of her very favorites). Always the teacher, Elaine also instilled her love of reading in her children and grandchildren by reading aloud to them when they were little and encouraging them to read for her as they grew older. Without Elaine, this world would be several bookworms poorer.

Elaine was the most generous person those who encountered her would ever know. There isn’t a single person who entered her orbit who did not in some way benefit from Elaine’s kindness and hospitality. In her final years, whenever she was asked what she had learned about life, Elaine would consistently answer that she'd come to believe that most of the world’s problems could be solved if people would learn to be less greedy. Her life of self-sacrifice was the ideal model of this philosophy. This world would be a much kinder and safer place if there were more people like Elaine in it.

We still have so much to learn from her example.

Elaine was preceded in death by her parents, B.H. and Ruth. She is survived by all of her siblings, Fred, Jean, Rosemary, Ray, and Bonnie; her children, Wendy, Angie, Gordon, Frank, Cheryl, and Sean; and an abundance of grandchildren and great grandchildren. Elaine also collected lifelong friends from everywhere she went, and while many of them are no longer with us, those that are will miss her dearly.

At Elaine’s request, there will be no funeral service, but a family-only viewing will be held at Lakeview Memorial (1640 Lakeview Dr, Bountiful, UT 84010) on June 27 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm. Interment to follow at Memorial Lakeview Cemetery. A luncheon for all will be held afterward from 3:30pm to 6:00pm at the Orchard 13th Wardhouse (261 E Center St, North Salt Lake, UT 84054).