Kathleen Lunt McCune

Our beautiful mom and grandmother, Kathleen (Kathie) Lunt McCune passed away peacefully surrounded by family on September 8, 2023 of natural causes. She is a hero to us, and her courage is inspirational. It’s impossible to capture her in a few paragraphs of an obituary. The hole she leaves behind is enormous. But so is the legacy of joy, courage, faith, beauty, laughter, strength, grace, dignity, and love. Everyone that knew her knew she sparkles like a diamond. She is like sunshine. Even through the many years of physical pain and suffering she endured, she smiled and said “It will be better tomorrow,” and “This too, shall pass.” She inspired all of us to be better, to forgive, to be more patient, kinder, gentler, and to love more deeply. Her laughter is infectious and her sense of humor endearing. 

Kathie was born in Virden, New Mexico on March 20, 1943, during the tensions of World War II. When she was three years old, her parents, Parley Darwin Lunt and Emma Echols Lunt, moved their family to Bountiful, Utah, where Kathie grew up loving kittens, playing imaginary games with the fairies that she knew existed, and playing paper dolls with her best friends. Being the third of six children made home a busy place for Kathie and her siblings: Elburn Lunt, Carolyn Lunt Gabbitas, Barton Lunt, Norman Lunt, and Steven Lunt. 

After high school graduation, Kathie attended beauty school and worked as a hairdresser for over 45 years. It was a perfect fit for Kathie, who was creative, stylish, dedicated, and loved people. She was determined to be the best hair dresser she could be, winning many awards. She loved helping people feel beautiful and making them feel good about themselves. She traveled the United States doing hair shows, teaching others her craft. She worked hard to make ends meet in her family while building a successful, rewarding career. 

While attending beauty school, Kathie met and married Dale Sargent. The marriage ended after 11 years. Even through that trial, Kathie remained strong in her faith and confidence. She later wrote, “I believe you are who you are because of or in spite of the negativity in our lives. I am a better person by the things I’ve learned. We don’t always get to choose. We all have done the best we could do given our circumstances. We continue to rise up and meet our challenges with gratitude because it makes us better people."

Kathie and Dale had three children together, Keith Sargent, Pauline Sargent Isbell, and LaRayne Sargent Miller. It was hard for Kathleen to support herself and her little children as a single mother. She worked long hours is a hairdresser to bring food to the table for her children. But she was strong and provided for and loved her kids.

A few years later Kathie married, the true love of her life, Reed Byron McCune, now deceased. Later they were sealed in the Jordan River LDS Temple for time and all eternity. Of Reed, Kathie later wrote, “When I opened the door that first date, I knew I would marry him. His spirit was familiar to me. I will never forget the first time I saw that sweet, kind smile that we all know. I loved him at first sight. I’m so grateful for him and our love.”

Reed and Kathie blended a family of six children which included her three children and Reed’s children from a former marriage, Darrell McCune, Kathy McCune Faust, and Sandy McCune Workman. She loved her stepchildren and defended them as her own.

Kathie was vibrant and loved life. She loved to laugh hard and play hard. Her interests were many and varied: traveling, oil painting, sewing often making her own clothes and dresses for her girls, studying herbs, snow skiing, golfing, fishing, music. She consistently strove for excellence, improvement, and learning new things. Even in her last painful months before her death she potted over 50 seedling plants into flourishing planters. She couldn’t stand to be bored.

Kathie loved adventure in the natural world and felt God’s love through natural beauty. She loved animals, flowers, sunsets, and crystals. She loved turquoise ocean water, quaking aspen trees, and any kind of baby animal. She wrote in her journal, “There are so many beauties that surround me, how could a soul not be joyous? The trees, flowers, birds, the sky, and sunsets. I thrill at the gentle cool breeze that flows across my body and the fresh air I breathe is glorious.” 

Kathie’s greatest joy and life’s work was her family. She dedicated so much love, energy, and attention to her children and grandchildren and created memories that would bind her family together. She orchestrated beautiful holiday traditions creating memories and building relationships. Ask any grandchild and they’ll tell you how magical Christmas Eve at Grandma’s house was. She transformed the ordinary into the magical. She made each of us feel so loved by her attention to detail and ability to make everything beautiful. She created events and spaces that were havens of love and beauty. Everything she touched was beautiful. 

Kathie served and loved so many through her hairdressing work, many church callings, and love and dedication to her family. 

Finally, Kathie was a disciple of Jesus Christ. She had great faith that she rejoiced in and which sustained her through the difficult times. She wrote in her journal, “ I love my Savior, I love the scriptures. I know He answers my prayers. I pray continually and give thanks. My heart rejoices for the light that fills my soul. I feel exquisite joy from receiving all the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” Kathie was a lifetime Christian and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Kathie is survived by her sister, Carolyn Gabbitas, brother Evan Lunt and his wife, Jolene, all six of her children and their spouses, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who love her, and will miss her dearly.

Mother, grandma, friend, God be with you ‘till we meet again. We love you and thank God for you. Rest in the peace of the Lord. 

Viewings and funeral will be held at Anderson & Goff Mortuary, 11859 S. 700 E., Draper, UT at the following times: 
Viewing Monday, September 18, 2023, 6:00-8:00 PM 
Viewing Tuesday, September 19, 2023, 10:00-10:45 AM
Funeral Service Tuesday, September 19, 2023, 11:00 AM

Dedication of the grave and burial is at Crescent Cemetery following funeral services, 11105 S. State Street, Sandy, UT.

The service will be livestreamed on the Anderson & Goff Mortuary Facebook Page at the following link: 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Funeral-Service---Cemetery/Anderson-Goff-Mortuary-293949407707203/ 
(The livestream video will appear when the service starts.)