Judi Nielsen

Judith (Judi) Ann Davies Nielsen peacefully returned to her beloved husband, DeVon and heavenly home on September 23, 2026. Born on May 23, 1945, in Salt Lake City, Utah to William Lyman and Helen Stallings Davies. Judi lived a life that was filled with service, loyalty, resilience, and humility.

Judi was born with a left congenital dislocated hip. She had multiple surgeries by the time she was three, leaving her with one leg shorter than the other. She never had any physical limitations and had very little pain. She did however, have a limp for most of her life, until she had two total hip replacements in the early 2000’s.

During her teenage years, her family made the joint decision to open a restaurant. The Davies Chuckwagon Diner in Lakewood, Colorado still exists to this day. Judi’s incredible math skills proved to be a crucial part of her being the cashier at the diner. Her hip condition made it difficult for her to waitress, which may have been a blessing, since she had a love for math.

Judi graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in Wheat Ridge, Colorado in 1963. She then went on to graduate from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah with a degree in Elementary Education in 1967. Her education was so important to her, that she went on to earn six endorsements.

In October 1967, Judi embarked on a blind date set up by her cousin that would lead to a “Hallmark movie” proposal in the tiny chapel of Ogden's Christmas Village. DeVon and Judi were sealed in the Logan, Utah temple on June 14th, 1968. They resided in Layton, Utah for their 56 years of marriage and were blessed with five children.

Judi worked for over 30 years for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. She had many roles including intermediate teacher, parent advisor, coordinator, and eventually director of the Parent Infant Program. She was also a member of multiple professional organizations. Alongside her co-worker and friend, Barbara Petersen, they compiled the Vision Program: Vision Skills in the Natural Environment. It is an intervention guide for use with children birth to three with blindness or vision impairment. Her life was a testament of her values, serving children all over Utah with vision loss.

One of Judi’s absolute favorite things was reading to her children and grandchildren. She wanted to pass on her love of reading to them. Recordings were made of her reading and her grandchildren and future posterity will get to enjoy these for years to come.

Judi loved sewing and homemaking, teaching her children and making her home a warm and welcoming place for her family. They especially loved the treats she made, including her homemade raspberry jam and suckers. Every Christmas, she and DeVon would make caramel popcorn together, a tradition that became a special part of the holiday season for their family. Judi and DeVon both loved Christmas, and she really loved watching DeVon decorate the house and change the mantle each month for different themes and holidays. These little traditions brought her so much joy and created memories that her family will cherish for years to come.

Judi’s steadfast service in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was an important part of her life. Throughout the years, she served in many different callings, but her favorite was serving as the stake Young Women’s camp director while raising her young family. DeVon and Judi went on to serve two senior missions: one in Perth, Australia and another in Durban, South Africa. Their missions were the highlight of their retirement.

Judi is preceded in death by her beloved husband DeVon; her parents; brothers, Brent and Dennis and many of her in-laws. Judi is survived by her sister, Nancy Tulis; brother-in-law Danny (Mary Jean) Nielsen; sisters-in-law, Nancy Nielsen, Paula Davies and Merlue Davies; children, J.D. (Melissa) Nielsen, Krista Nielsen, JoLyn Nielsen, Andrew (Ania) Nielsen, Brea (Derek) Wentz; eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Through J.D. and Melissa's foster efforts, Judi was also "grandma" to over one hundred foster children.

A public viewing will be held for Judi on Thursday, October 1st, 2026, from 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. MST at the Woodland Park Ward, 2300 University Park Boulevard, Layton, Utah. The funeral service will follow at 2:00 p.m. MST at the same location. The service will also be broadcast live and recorded to be viewed at a later time. Check Myers Mortuary website for details. In keeping with Judi's wishes, she chose cremation, and no graveside services will be held. Judi’s life was a rich tapestry of service, love, and devotion. We invite you to share your memories of her, and upload photos of your shared moments on the memorial page.

While we will miss her dearly, we find comfort knowing she is once again with DeVon and that their love was and is eternal.

We encourage those who knew Judith to share their memories of her and upload photos to her remember page, to help us celebrate her extraordinary life. www.myers-mortuary.com