Luanne Shepherd

Luanne Jolley Shepherd, 81, passed away early on March 5, 2026 after a long battle with dementia and an acute battle with blood cancer. She was surrounded by several of her children and grandchildren, as well as her husband as she passed at home in West Jordan, Utah.

Luanne was born on July 25, 1944 to Frank and Shirley Jolley in Burley, Idaho. She was the oldest of five children and raised in humble circumstances on a potato farm. She would frequently tell of how as a teenager she shared a single pair of dress shoes with her Mother, which they would take turns wearing to church. Her upbringing instilled in her a deep sense of gratitude and the work ethic she was well-known for.

During high school, she met a missionary named Robert (Bob) Shepherd, who she later married. The two shared common interests in music and singing. After high school, Luanne moved to Salt Lake City, where Bob's family lived, to attend beauty school. After Bob returned from his mission, the two were married on September 3, 1963 in the Salt Lake City Temple.

As the mother of seven children (each of whom was convinced they were her favorite) and a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Luanne spent much of her life in service to others. She was unbelievably selfless, arising each morning early to prepare breakfast and lunches for her children. She kept an immaculate home, greeted her kids daily after school, usually with trays of fresh baked cookies or loaves of fresh bread while a pot of beef stew or some other delicious meal was simmering on the stove. She ground her own wheat, sewed her children's clothes, and made everyone feel welcome in her home. She lived on a constant supply of Diet Coke and loved nothing more than to hear her children sing together around the piano. She was a model of unconditional love and forgiveness.

When her youngest was 5 and oldest was married, Luanne took a job outside the home in Albuquerque, NM, where they lived for over 40 years. It broke her heart to no longer be there when the kids got home from school, but she made the sacrifice to help support the financial needs of her growing family. She was fortunate for many of those years to work alongside her husband, first at Roger Cox Petroleum and later at Uptown Dental Associates. Her homemade cookies at the latter were regularly enjoyed by thousands of patients.

While most people take up hobbies or travel during retirement, "Gramma Lu" spent much of her later years in life with her grandchildren. She continued to give and sacrifice as she had always done. Frequent babysitting, slumber parties, and telephone chats with her posterity were her greatest hobbies. She simply didn't know how to be selfish. Her family was her world.

Luanne was preceded in death by her Mother and Father. She is survived by her husband Bob, her seven children: Kellie (Eric), Mark (Tammie), David (Nicole), Michael (Stephanie), Ryan (Tamera), Chris (Jessica), and Jenny (Troy), her siblings: Nancy (Larry), Patricia (Rick), Julie (Kent) and Reed, and a small multitude of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A viewing will be held Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 10-10:45am, followed by funeral services at 11am at the LDS Cobble Creek Chapel located at 8150 Grizzly Way, West Jordan, UT 84081. Send all the flowers you can to Jenkins-Soffe Funeral Home, 1007 W South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, UT 84095. She didn't get nearly enough of them in life!