Kathryn Johansen Wells

Kathryn Johansen Wells
1955~2020
Salt Lake City, UT-Our beloved mother, grandmother, and sister Kathryn Johansen Wells returned home to her Heavenly Father on July 31, 2020 at the age of 65. Kathy was born on February 25, 1955 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Kent and Ann Johansen. She grew up with her two sisters and three brothers and was considered the peacemaker in their family. She attended Howard R. Driggs Elementary, Churchill Jr. High, and Skyline High School. It was in the halls of Skyline that she met Jeff, the love of her life. They were married on September 4, 1975 in the Salt Lake Temple.
Kathy and Jeff built a wonderful life together. They loved going on walks, and their favorite date was going to dinner and a movie. Kathy was a caring mother and the biggest fan of her two children, Lisa and Ryan. She always buoyed them up and led by her compassionate example. Kathy truly had an enthusiasm for life and uplifted everyone around her. She was an incredibly hard worker and got her first job at 14 years old. She started her career at Mountain Bell/U.S. West after high school and worked there for 30 years. She retired by the early age of 50 to spend her time being a grandma. For Kathy, family was everything. She cherished every moment with her grandkids and devoted a large part of her life to them. She loved watching movies with them, having sleepovers, baking, taking them shopping, and attending every game or recital.
Kathy loved flowers and always had a beautiful yard. She was an excellent cook and made the most delicious homemade rolls, cakes, and cookies. She enjoyed attending Zumba class at the Holladay Lions Recreation Center. Kathy's favorite part about summer was hosting her weekly pool parties for the whole extended family with pizza, donuts, and popsicles. Every holiday and birthday were huge celebrations with decorations, treats, and fun. Traditions were incredibly important to her and she always got the family together. Kathy looked forward to family vacations and had the opportunity to visit many beautiful places in Europe, South America, and the United States, but the trips she treasured the most were to their cabin, St. George, and the beach. Just one month ago, Kathy and her family were able to spend an idyllic vacation in Newport Beach, where they biked the boardwalk, relaxed on the beach, and had dinner at the beach house.
Despite the hardships she faced, she never complained and always had a positive attitude. Kathy was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and loved serving with the wonderful members of her ward in numerous callings over the years. She had a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and loved her years of serving in the baptistry of the Salt Lake Temple. Kathy was full of the light of Christ and radiated goodness.
Kathy is survived by her loving husband of 45 years, Jeff Wells, her two children Lisa (Richard) McDonald and Ryan Wells, her four grandchildren, Savannah (Tanner) Brain, Abigail McDonald, Grace McDonald, and Carter McDonald, as well as her five siblings: Rosemary (Russ) Sorensen, Richard (Paula) Johansen, Cindy (Scott) Royall, Bruce (Leslie) Johansen, and Kevin (Kaesi) Johansen. She is preceded in death by her parents Kent and Ann Johansen.
A public drive-through visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Fortuna Chapel, 4407 S. Fortuna Way. A viewing will be held on Thursday, August 6, 2020 from 10:00-10:45 a.m., followed by funeral services at 11:00 a.m. at the chapel. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, attendance at the viewing and funeral is by invitation only. For extended family and friends that would like to participate virtually, a live stream of the funeral can be viewed at 11:00 a.m. Please visit http://www.memorialutah.com/obituary/holladay-cottonwood/kathryn-johansen-wells/ for instructions on how to view the funeral live and to leave condolences for the family. Interment will be held at Holladay Memorial Park, 4900 S. Memory Lane. For the safety of others, masks will be required.