Jane Norton Daynes

Jane Norton Daynes, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 14, 2025, at the age of 84. Born October 2, 1940, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Jane was the daughter of E. Virgil and Phyllis Merrill Norton. She grew up in Centerville, Utah, on a lively family farm with many fruit trees, horses named Becky and Lucky, a dog named Pancake, and an assortment of animals ranging from sheep and chickens to pigs and dogs. Summers were spent picking peaches and cherries and enjoying the bustle of farm life. Jane was the third of four children, with Nancy Norton Carlisle, Michael M. Norton, and Robert M. Norton. Jane attended Centerville Elementary, South Davis Junior High, and Bountiful High School, where she served as Editor of the Yearbook. Athletically inclined, she enjoyed softball until a broken finger on her right hand disrupted her career. She passed a college basketball test making nine of ten free throws. She was also a pioneer in synchronized swimming. These achievements reflected her lifelong love of sports. After the family moved to South Temple in Salt Lake City in 1958, she studied at the University of Utah, majoring in Physical Education with a teaching minor in French. She was a proud member of Delta Delta Delta Sorority. She later broadened her studies through Brigham Young University’s French Studies program in Quebec, Canada. She spent another Summer in an intense German Studies program. Jane’s early career reflected her adventurous spirit. She worked two summers at Bryce Canyon National Park, taught canoeing with the Girl Scouts in Wisconsin, and served as a receptionist at Temple Square and a guide at the Lion House in Salt Lake City. She later taught high school in Los Altos, California, and at South High School in Salt Lake City, where she inspired her students through her energy and passion for life. For many years she was a favorite substitute at high schools in the San Diego area. On February 20, 1963, Jane married Robert W. Daynes, in the Logan Utah Temple. Together, they built a remarkable family. Jane bore nine children: Joseph, Michael, Mary Jane, Richard, Robert, Katherine, Thomas, Steven, and Mark. She was the proud mother of seven Eagle Scouts, and all eight of her living children served missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her posterity includes 36 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, each of whom brought her great joy. Jane dedicated her life to her family and her faith. She served in numerous callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including President of the Young Women, Primary, and Relief Society organizations, and she lent her voice to many church choirs. She also poured her heart into her children’s activities—attending thousands of youth football, baseball, softball, soccer, basketball and track events, somehow managing the impossible feat of being present at so many at once. She was always the scorekeeper at Little League games and a die-hard San Diego Padres fan. Her home was always open, the door never locked, and neighbors and friends knew they were welcome at any hour. Often there were extra kids, teammates, or even strangers asleep on the couches and floors. Jane’s legacy is one of love, laughter, service, and a boundless capacity to make others feel at home. Jane was preceded in death by her daughter, Mary Jane Daynes, and her brother, Michael M. Norton. She will be deeply missed by her husband of 62 years, her children, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren, her siblings, extended family, and the countless friends whose lives she touched. A Celebration of Life will be held in her honor on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at 11:00 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3990 Mesa Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056. Interment will take place at Tonaquint Cemetery in St. George, Utah, on Friday, September 26, 2025, at 2:00 pm.

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Jane Norton Daynes

October 2, 1940 - September 14, 2025