Sherman Layne Butters

1938 - 2025

Sherman Layne Butters

March 18, 1938 - November 1, 2025

Cottonwood Heights, UT - Sherman Layne Butters, 87, beloved husband, loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, uncle, and cousin peacefully passed away at his home surrounded by the family he loved on November 1, 2025, due to natural causes incident to age.

Sherman was born on March 18, 1938, in the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah to Johanna Layne and Harry Anderson Butters.

As a young man, Sherman and his family lived in Ogden, Utah, Sacramento, California, Portland, Oregon, and Pacific Palisades, California.

After graduating from University High School in Los Angeles, California he served in the Army Reserve and attended classes at Santa Monica City College before moving to Provo, Utah to attend Brigham Young University.

Although his parents were not active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints his mother ensured he was baptized at eight years of age. He first attended church as a student at BYU after two young men made friends with him, encouraged him to attend church with them, and were instrumental in him becoming an active member. In time he became a devoted, faithful member. He promised God he would remain strong in the faith throughout his life: A promise he faithfully kept. His first calling was with the BYU ward activities committee. He went on to faithfully serve throughout his life in numerous ways.

While attending BYU he met his sweetheart, Judith Barber. They enjoyed attending dances, fishing, hiking, and everything else they could do together. After graduating in Business Marketing from BYU in June 1961, Sherman and Judith were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 23, 1961. From the beginning, their greatest desire was to be together with each other and their future family forever. They have always loved attending the temple. They attended the Manti Temple before they were married; the Cardston Canada and Idaho Falls temple on their honeymoon.

One of Sherman's many talents was being able to repair anything. His motto was, "If it worked once it can work again." He enjoyed building and flying remote control planes and photography (he developed pictures in his home darkroom). He was a master at building anything from swings and playhouses for his children to China chests, clocks, and special gifts. He made and collected sling shots to shoot with his grandchildren. He enjoyed hiking and traveling. His greatest joy was spending time with his family. Whenever they were in an elevator with him, he would say, "I want to take this opportunity to tell you I love you and always will!" His most famous saying, under any situation was, "It just doesn't get any better than this."

As an adult, he taught youth classes, served as a counselor for two bishops, and served on the High Council.

He was called as the Brighton 3rd Ward Bishop, where he was blessed to serve for seven years with the most wonderful ward members. He cherished taking each missionary from the ward to lunch at "his club" before they left for their mission and when they returned. Before leaving for their mission, he would take them to write their name, the name and dates of their mission on the steel girders of the church steeple. Those names are there today.

He especially enjoyed serving as Young Adult Bishop in the Brighton Stake for three years and regularly hears from many of its members. Later in life he served as Branch President in the University and Huntsman hospitals where he led young couples in providing Sacrament Meetings, the Sacrament, and Priesthood Blessing to the patients.

For thirty-one years Sherm had his own insurance office; he retired when he was fifty-one.

After he retired Sherman and Judith began serving missions together. First, through the BYU Kennedy Center China Teachers Program, they taught Business English courses at a university in Beijing China. Later they served two service missions at the University and Huntsman Hospitals.

Sherman and Judith enjoyed sharing the Gospel while serving as proselyting missionaries in Cambodia for eighteen months. Sherm was often asked to baptize those he helped teach and did so in the Cambodian language. While in Cambodia, they helped opened a new area and established a Branch in the city of Battambang. After returning from Cambodia, they served for four years working with young girls in the Salt Lake Youth Detention Center.

Sherman and Judith concluded their missionary work with five years of service in the Salt Lake Inner-City Spanish Speaking Mission. They cherished working with the wonderful members of the Bingham Creek Ward and serving twelve couples in ten Spanish wards as Zone Leaders.

Sherman is survived by his wife Judith Barber and six children and their spouses: Laura Butters (Keith Mills), Gregory Barber Butters (Tracey Reynolds), Derek Barber Butters (Kari Holladay), Roger Barber Butters (Michelle Jagerson), Heather Butters (Steve Smith), Ryan Barber Butters (Taryn Dudley). They are blessed with 30 grandchildren – 9 married grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren with one on the way.

Sherman has spent his life serving and blessing others! He is loved by his family and all that knew him. He will be missed until we meet again.

Funeral services will be held Saturday November 8, 2025, at 1:00 pm at the chapel on 2925 East Bengal Blvd (7800 South), Cottonwood Heights, Utah.

Visitation will be held at the Cannon Mortuary, 2460 E. Bengal Blvd.(approx. 7650 South) Friday, November 7th, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00pm and the day of the service at the church one hour prior to the service.

Interment will take place at the Mt. View Memorial Cemetery 3115 Bengal Blvd (7800 South), Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the General Missionary Fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, https://donate.churchofjesuschrist.org/contribute.

Funeral services will be streamed and can be accessed by clicking on the following link the day of the service at 12:45 p.m. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88974819774?pwd=UJZsD805YifdXDXKQYAPUVbM2AFdNT.1