Val Jay Farnsworth

Our dear husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather was called back to his spiritual home on July 23, 2022. Val Jay Farnsworth was born on December 2nd, 1929 to Jay Vern Farnsworth and Alta Farnsworth (Chase).

Val proudly hails from Bingham Canyon, Utah and has many memories of fun, mischievousness, baseball and lots of activities in his, now non-existent, hometown.

Val is survived by his sweetheart and love of his life of 65 years, Betty Jean Griffis Farnsworth, his children, Valerie Jean Newland (Jeff), Lisa Kay Hales (Karl), Robert Jay Farnsworth (Josie), and Ryan Claude Farnsworth. Val is the proud grandfather of 14 wonderful grandchildren and many great grandchildren.

Val is a Jordan High School alum where he excelled in academics as well as athletics. He enjoyed a lifelong pursuit of knowledge that led him to a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Math from the University of Utah and several different careers.

Val served as a member of the Army Counter Intelligence Corps in the Korean War and was stationed in Germany. He had many interesting experiences in Army Counter Intelligence, not the least of which was trying to explain why his father was a Farnsworth and his mother’s maiden name was also Farnsworth. He loved to regale his grandchildren with these war stories. Val met many wonderful friends in the Army and continued to meet with them throughout their lives.

After his experience in the Army and his schooling, he began his career in education as a math teacher and eventually a school principal. While serving in school administration he identified a need for emergency medical skills and pursued more knowledge into emergency medicine. His passion for serving others and his desire for knowledge led him to become an EMT, a paramedic, a firefighter, and an emergency room hospital technician. These extra careers started in his 50’s and he continued to serve the community in these fields into his 80’s.

Val’s greatest joy in this life was the time he spent with his family and especially his sweetheart. He met Betty through a friend and eventual brother-in-law at work. After his first introduction, Val and Betty were inseparable for 65 years. They were sealed together in the Salt Lake Temple on March 29, 1957 and had 4 children born in the covenant. The Farnsworth family has lived in the same house in Sandy, Utah since then.

Val enjoyed traveling with his family and experiencing the great outdoors. He took his family on many trips and visited each of the fifty states of the U.S. and several other countries, with meticulously planned itineraries, planned down to the hour without much room for deviation.

Val has always had a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and understood the importance of family relationships and serving others. The Farnsworth family is eternally grateful for the influence of this patriarch of the family and is anxiously awaiting the sweet reunions in the future.

Funeral services will be the following:
Where: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Chapel, 1050 E. Galena Dr., Sandy, UT.
When: Viewing – Thursday, July 28 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Funeral Services – Friday, July 29, 11:00 AM (Public Viewing from 10:00 to 10:45 AM).
Interment at Memorial Lake Hills Cemetery, 10055 S. State Street, Sandy, UT.

In lieu of donating flowers, please donate to Project Strong which is an organization to help children with Muscular Dystrophy:
https://goprojectstrong.org/donate

Following is the Zoom link for the services:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89728701143?pwd=Z084L0krRHI3NnBvYkNtaDRsVkZSZz09
Meeting ID: 897 2870 1143
Passcode: 040496



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