May Benson

Mary May Hinckley, our cherished mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on February 15, 2026, after a long and courageous struggle with dementia. May left this life at home, surrounded by her loved ones. We are forever grateful to our army of caregivers, whose compassionate and diligent care allowed May to spend her final years in her home.

Born on February 12, 1940, in Hinckley, Utah, May enjoyed a happy early childhood before her family moved to Salt Lake City, where her father and Uncle Arza purchased the beloved Hinckley Brothers' Farm-a place that was central to many of May's fondest memories. She treasured sunset picnics at the farm, inside jokes with her siblings ("Batman!"), and lively gatherings with her cousins. She spent many years living across the street from the north gate of the Salt Lake Temple, where Temple Square became her playground.

As a girl, May was spirited, hard working, and wonderfully witty. A lifelong animal lover, May constantly brought home stray animals. She was always grateful that her mother, Lucilla, patiently accepted the new pets. May was also a brilliant student, especially in math and English. As a preschooler, May asked her big sister Nadine to teach her everything she was learning at school. By kindergarten, May was reading the newspaper every morning. Her kindergarten teacher often handed May a book to read to the class while she left to do other things. May attributed her love of learning to her beloved father, Rulon. May was also an exceptional athlete– she even joined an all-boys baseball team and was asked to pitch for the all-star game.

While working as an intern for a summer in Washington, D.C., May met her sweetheart, Reed, at a Fourth of July picnic. They spent the entire day together, beginning a whirlwind romance. Reed and May were married in the Salt Lake Temple on April 8, 1958.

Together, Reed and May adopted nine children in thirteen years. At one point, they had eight children under the age of nine, yet May still found meaningful ways to nurture each child. Her children remember special invitations to stay up for one-on-one "late nights" with Mom, to play games, read books, or if you were really lucky, watch M*A*S*H*.

May was a homeschooling pioneer and tirelessly devoted herself to the education of her children. The flexibility of homeschooling allowed unique educational opportunities including behind-the-scenes factory tours, pageants, plays, concerts, museum visits, farm trips, living abroad, and even being extras in a movie.

A word game aficionado and a voracious reader, May often stayed up with a book into the early hours of the morning. A life-long learner, she gave herself a deep and wide education. While newly married and living in New York, she took classes at Cornell University in science and math. Throughout her life, she insatiably studied every subject that caught her interest, including history, politics, health, poetry, and scripture. She was a self-taught architect who designed five beautiful homes.

May was also a gardener, a seamstress, a quilter, a bread baker and a canner-her bread-and-butter pickles were especially delicious. She was also an excellent pianist, practicing diligently after her children were tucked into bed. She adored classical music and opera.

A lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, May had an unwavering conviction that Jesus Christ was her Savior. She lived as an example of Christlike love, especially in her tender care of her mother, father and husband in the final stages of their lives. May was also a talented scriptorian who dedicated years of careful research to the dangers of pride and the importance of humility.

In her later years, May had a gift for noticing beauty. She saw God's love in the natural world. She delighted in trees, clouds, and the mountains, especially Mount Timpanogos after a fresh snowfall.

May is preceded in death by her parents, Rulon and Lucilla Hinckley, her husband, Reed A. Benson, and her daughter, Heidi Benson. She is survived by her children, Holly Goldsworthy (Bill), Taft (Sabine), Heather Stephenson (Mark), Lucilla Rhees (Ryan), M. Mark (Kristen), Joshua (Jan), Lynna Stewart (Jared) and Sarah Peterson and by dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A viewing will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 9:00 AM at 650 E. Stadium Ave., Provo, Utah. The funeral service will follow at 10:30 AM at the same location. Interment will take place at 3:00 PM at Whitney Cemetery in Preston, Idaho. We encourage you to share your memories of May and upload photos to the memorial page.