Helen Basinger

Helen Marie Smith Basinger departed this life in peace on the afternoon of March 9th, 2025.
Helen was born June 13, 1943, in Beaver, Utah. She was the 5th and youngest child of Grant E. Smith (1896-1972) & Mattie "Marie" Stevens (1901-1995).
She was preceded in death by her parents, & siblings: LuDean Smith (1927-1971) (Phillip Lund), Joseph "Clinton" Smith (1928-2020)(Betty Luis), Ray Martell Smith (1931-2007) (Evelyn Maxine Eastwood 1937-2007), Marsha Amelia Smith (1939-2004) (Walter "Ross" Ashcroft 1933-2017), and by her Husband Carl Wayne Basinger (1942-2016).
Helen lived in Beaver Utah and had completed the 5th grade in 1954, when, due to her father's health, they moved to Phoenix Arizona. Helen reported that the new school was much larger and that she felt quite lost for some time. However, she found her way, and graduated with honors, from North Phoenix High School in 1961. She was a member of Honor Society, she lettered in Choir and the 4-H club and specialized in cooking and sewing. Helen stated that she "always enjoyed dancing, singing, and playing the piano."
After High school, Helen went on to university and attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. It was there that she bloomed and was able to embrace her thirst for knowledge and share her faith and skills with others.
Helen met her forever love Carl at BYU, while at a church activity. They were married in the Oakland LDS temple on May 29th, 1965. They went on to have 7 children: Carlene Marie (1966) (Darin K Jacobson), Carl Grant Basinger (1970)(Gloria Ramirez), Daniel Ephriam (1971) (Tricia Gates), Reid Wayne (1972)(Bridget McCullough), Leon Kenneth (1975) (Tammy Fabrizio), Jared David (1977)( Fabiola Linares ), and Holly Virginia (1980) (Andrew Bowers).
They have 28 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren as well as taking in several nephews who were loved as their own.
In addition to raising seven children and supporting her husband Carl in his business and the homestead, Helen was very active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was also working full time in the insurance industry as an insurance adjuster in California and Utah for over 25 years. They spent their last years together in Cottonwood California.
As a young woman she was an active member of the 4-H program, went on to teach girl scouts, and young women groups in her church. This supported her enjoyment in cooking, and she thrived in developing her sewing skills throughout her entire life, which expanded out into quilting.
As an active member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints she embraced her faith and enjoyed the interaction with other members. She was blessed again to be able to share her knowledge and loving heart in support of the families and women of the Relief society and ward.
In 2016 Carl passed away due to cancer and Helen was heartbroken. Despite the loving support of her family, friends and the ward, she could not manage the homestead any longer. She moved to Fort Wayne Indiana to live with her youngest child, Holly, and her family. Since that time Helen developed increasing memory loss and rapidly progressing dementia.
Helen loved to go out and be a part of what was going on with her family and friends.
She has always expressed a love for nature, going on hikes though the trees, and professed that she really enjoyed going swimming and loved walking along the beach. Despite her decreasing mobility, gratefully, she was able to continue to spend time in the pool and enjoy the water until very recently.
Most of all Helen had an unquenchable passion for books and reading. She stated that "I have always been in love with books" and she'd "rather read than practically anything else."
Helen had 7 children, and she was able to go and spend time with each of them, enjoying different parts of the country, and get to know, and show her love, to her grandchildren.
She was able to go out and enjoy her remaining time, thanks to the care of her family with special thanks to Holly and Andrew and their family, and a caregiver, Stephanie Manter, who Helen called "my friend" as she could not remember names any longer.
Helen lived as one of her favorite authors stated: "Keep good company, read good books, love good things and cultivate soul and body as faithfully as you can." -Lousia May Alcott.
Funeral services will be held on Friday May 21, 2025 at11:00 am at Southern Utah Mortuary (195 N. 200 W., Beaver, UT). There will be a viewing prior to the service at 9:30 am. Interment will be in the Mountain View Cemetery under the direction of Southern Utah Mortuary. To view the livestream of the service and share online condolences, please visit www.mortuary.org.