June 20, 1946 — August 8, 2024

Laurie Beth Burningham Secrist 1946-2024 returned home to her heavenly father from complications of Congestive heart failure on Thursday August 8, 2024 at her home at Creekside Senior living. Mom was born on June 20, 1946, to James (Larry) and Beth Burningham in Salt Lake City Utah. She was a proud Bountiful girl where she lived until she moved to Southern California after marrying our dad Lee Secrist in 1965.

Mom met dad in 1961 at Bountiful High School (Go Braves!!!) when she was just 15 yrs old when he walked into Math Class and sat in front of her. Mom would always tell me that she was in love with him from the moment she saw him and it was all she could do not to reach out and just touch him when she should have been learning math.

Dad was instantly smitten with her, and her beautiful red hair and they became high school sweethearts. On May 1, 1965 they were married in her parents home and spent their honeymoon driving to Southern California to start their new lives together.

Mom always stated that she wanted nothing more than to be a mother and in August 1967 they had their first-born daughter Jayme Lee. It took a while but in July 1974, mom and dad were blessed again with the birth of their son Matthew Keith. Mom was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her fervent love of the Gospel guided her life in every respect.

Mom decided to add working mother to her resume and worked as a secretary at Aerojet which is an American rocket and missile propulsion manufacturer and when they moved location too far from home, mom chose to leave and became a Recreation therapy secretary at Childrens Hospital Orange County (CHOC). She loved all that it entailed and would oversee getting special guests to visit the sick kids such as the Blue Angels, members of the Dodgers and Angels and a sprinkling of Hollywood celebrities just to name a few.

Mom enjoyed her time in Southern California as she made wonderful friends and loved having her Aunt Fern and her family not too far away, but she said it was never really home to her. All she wanted to do was come back to Bountiful. When dad decided to retire from the Los Angeles Sheriffs dept, they decided to move back home to Bountiful where their love story started.

Mom and dad were able to live in my mom's childhood home where for the next 21 yrs they created a beautiful home, were she gardened, took lots of camping trips, daily drives with dad to see the trains, and some fun cruises to foreign locations to add to the mix. She loved spending time with her beloved dogs, her church friends, childhood friends, her family when we came to visit (which was never often enough in her opinion) and spending time with her soulmate. It was the life she wanted and loved.

On May 4, 2021, a few days after their 56th wedding anniversary and 60yrs of being together, dad passed away and mom was just never the same. In 2023 mom made the hard decision to move to Creekside Senior living as she knew she needed additional help with her health. There she met and developed wonderful friendships with both the staff as well as the other lovely residents. I know mom as well as myself are so grateful for everyone there and for the love and friendship that we both received.

Mom is survived by daughter Jayme, son Matthew, her sister Sharon (Gary) Fuller, sister-in-law Ann (Lon) Secrist and many nieces and nephews and her dog Libby. Mom, is preceded in death by her soulmate Lee, her brother-in-law Lon Secrist as well as both her parents James & Beth Burningham and in laws Keith & Lily SecristI want to thank the staff at Creekside as well as the hospice staff, Tiffany, Jenn and Lissa. Your compassion, dedication and care to my mom and her needs were unmatched and I am eternally grateful.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday August 21, 2024, at the Bountiful 4th ward Chapel, 102 East 1400 S Bountiful, Utah. A viewing will be held Tuesday evening from 6-8 pm at Russon Mortuary, 295 N Main St Bountiful and Wednesday morning from 10:00- 10:45 am prior to the services. Interment will be at Bountiful City Cemetery.

For those unable to attend funeral services in person, a live funeral broadcast can be seen on Russon Mortuary live Facebook page and this obituary page.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Laurie Beth Burningham Secrist, please visit our flower store.

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