NAOMI LARSON

Naomi Barlow Larson 1923 ~ 2010 I am the touch ofWind against your face, The morning dew, And the light of clouds Where you come to me. Clinton F. Larson On April 14, 2010, after successfully "winding up her own ball of yarn," Naomi Barlow Larson left us to join her beloved Clint, the touch of wind against her face. Naomi was the fourth child born to Elbert and Alberta Sweeten Barlow on April 30, 1923, in their home on Ramona Avenue in Salt Lake City, Utah. After her Papa's death when she was five months old, she and her family lived in several different places in Utah, Idaho, and California, and she attended many different schools. She married Clinton Foster Larson on June 24, 1942 in the Salt Lake Temple, the day before Clint was to report for active duty in the Army Air Corps. Naomi traveled with Clint to his various assignments within the United States, settling down in Salt Lake City after World War II. In 1947, they moved to Provo, where they spent the rest of their lives, for Clint to begin his teaching career at BYU. They became the parents of two daughters, Sue and Diane. As a result of the many moves in her life, she treasured the home that she and Clint made with their daughters and spent many happy hours learning and practicing skills that enhanced the lives of those who shared her home with her. She was an expert seamstress, a gardener with more than her share of green on her thumbs, an incredible creator of candy and hand-dipped chocolates, an excellent cook who was always experimenting with new foods and techniques, and a proficient proofreader of Clint's poetry. Much like that of her mother, Naomi's home was the gathering spot for family and friends, where they would find good smells coming from her kitchen and good conversation around her kitchen table. Naomi's loyal and enthusiastic support of Clint's creative work as a poet was the foundation on which he built his writing career. She was his solace and his inspiration. Many of his most lyrical poems were written in tribute to or about her. When he died in 1994, they had only been apart for a handful of days in over 52 years of marriage. In the years since his passing, she travelled extensively in the U.S., Ireland, and Europe. She embraced new technology and learned to use her computer for everything from scanning to Skyping. Naomi's commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ was deep and life-long. Quietly and behind the scenes, she served others and in many capacities through her own initiative as well as through the programs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Naomi is survived by her daughters Sue Booth-Forbes and Diane Porter (Vard); her grandchildren Brooke Porter Heilesen (Hank), Maren Booth Paxman Carneiro (Jackson), Heidilinde Porter Santos (Rob), Erik Forbes Paxman, Christopher Vard Porter (Evelyn), and Devin Clinton Porter; great-grandchildren Seneca, Sander, Seth, and Shea Heilesen; Lucas and Liam Carneiro; Brianna and Maddie Santos; and Kiley Porter; her beloved nieces and nephews Gene Barlow (Linda), Lynne Barlow Likes (Leroy), Gayle Barlow Godfrey (Bob), Bob Barlow (MaryAnn), Ron Barlow (Nora), Marilyn Cope Taumoefolau (Sam), Beverly Barlow Hughes (Dave), and Nadine Cope Estep; and her sister-in-law Christia Poe Barlow Smith. In addition to her family, Naomi leaves behind a huge number of wonderful and dedicated friends whom she has always treasured. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, her brother Robert C. Barlow, her sisters Lois Barlow Hill and Lozene Barlow Cope, and her mother-in-law Lillian Foster Larson. In celebration of Naomi's life, a memorial service will be held 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 24, 2010 in the Pleasant View First Ward Chapel at 650 Stadium Avenue, Provo, Utah. Friends may call at the Chapel on Friday, April 23 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and 9:30-10:15 a.m. on Saturday, April 24. Naomi will be buried next to Clint in the American Fork City Cemetery after her service. In lieu of flowers, friends may contribute to the Clinton F. and Naomi Barlow Larson Creative Writing Scholarship Fund, c/o Jo Scofield, English Department, College of Humanities, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602. We want to thank sincerely the staff at VistaCare Hospice for their kind and professional services.