Kenneth Pugmire

Funeral Recording

Return Home, Full Grown, Not Alone. This was the motto of our kind and loving husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, and uncle Kenneth Shepherd Pugmire. Having completed his earthly mission, he returned home March 19, 2022 at the age of 76 from Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis following a “routine” procedure (ERCP), after spending almost 4 months in the ICU at Intermountain Medical Center.

Ken was born November 2, 1945 in Logan, Utah, to Elden Rich Pugmire and Mary Shepherd Pugmire. He was the oldest child of a family which included two brothers, Keith and Bruce. He grew up in the Highland View and Canyon Rim areas of Salt Lake City. After graduating from Skyline High School in 1964 (Sterling Scholar in Business), Ken entered the US Army Reserve, then served two years in the British South Mission. Ken married Sue Ann Tadje in the Salt Lake Temple on December 30, 1970. He has always considered marrying Sue Ann as the best and most important decision of his life. They are the parents of Travis, Spencer, and Natalie. Also grandparents of ten (Kendra, Thomas, Nathan, Kayela, Sedona, Sawyer, Tedros, Yorusalem, Carmel, and Azilah).

In 1971 Ken graduated from the University of Utah in Accounting. While living in the Monument Park area he worked as a partner in the CPA firm Webb, Anderson and Company until 1976 when he went to work for the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While working for the Church, their young family lived in Western Samoa and Hawaii before returning to Utah. They have lived in the community of Willow Creek in Sandy, Utah, since 1980. Ken worked in financial positions in several departments at Church headquarters, retiring from the Family History Department in 2007.

Even though Ken struggled with health issues most of his life he felt highly favored of the Lord. He received a liver transplant in 2012. He had great faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ, which motivated him to serve others with enthusiasm and dedication. He especially enjoyed serving in the Church as a home teacher, executive secretary to general authorities, stake clerk in two different stakes and ward and membership clerks for many, many years as well as Elders President.

Ken’s sense of humor was a little different which led his grandchildren to call him “goofy”.  Never an outdoors person, although he did serve as scoutmaster, he loved office work. He organized, cataloged and scanned more than 50,000 photos and 20,000 documents. He worked tirelessly on Family History. He always felt so blessed to have ancestors who were dedicated pioneers and stalwart Church members. He was fond of decent people everywhere which included Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. He loved Chinese food, especially noodles. He was optimistic and loved to collect inspirational quotes and articles which he often shared with others to uplift and make their time on earth more enjoyable.

Ken is survived by his beloved wife Sue Ann, their children Travis (Brenda Lusk), Spencer, Natalie, and his ten grandchildren:  Kendra, Thomas, Nathan, Kayela, Sedona, Sawyer, Tedros, Yorusalem, Carmel, and Azilah

Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 26th, 11 AM, at the Meetinghouse located at 2400 East Alta Canyon Drive, Sandy, Utah 84093. Viewings will take place at the same location Friday March 25th, from 6 PM to 8 PM and Saturday from 9:30-10:30 AM.  A luncheon will be provided following the funeral for family members and those who have traveled from out of town.  Interment will be at Wasatch Lawn Cemetery located at 3401 South Highland Dr. in Salt Lake City. Please help promote organ transplant which means so much to our family and which extended Ken’s life by ten years.

Ken’s Grandmother Shepherd always said: “The art of living is: adjusting.”

Online memories and tributes can be posted for the family at: cannonmortuary.com.

Funeral services will be streamed and can be accessed by clicking on the following link - https://www.facebook.com/CannonMortuary Streaming will begin at 10:45 a.m. the day of the service.

Happy Trails to you!