LaDawn Hepworth Smith December 2, 1941 - October 9, 2025

LaDawn Hepworth Smith, a cherished wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and faithful servant of the Lord, passed away peacefully on October 9, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of love, family, and unwavering faith.

Born in Grover, Wyoming on December 2, 1941 to Marvin Clarence Hepworth and Arvilla Griffeth, LaDawn grew up surrounded by the beauty of Star Valley and the warmth of family. She graduated from Star Valley High School, attended Ricks College, and completed her bachelor’s degree in Home Economics Education at Brigham Young University, where she was a member of the Lambda Delta Sigma Sorority.

LaDawn met her eternal companion, Scott Thurman Smith, while student-teaching at Piute High School in Junction, Utah. They dated and fell in love, and soon after Thurman proposed to her at an overlook in Bryce Canyon. They were married for Time and All Eternity on June 3, 1966 in the Idaho Falls Temple. They moved to Billings, Montana and raised a family of five sons.

LaDawn loved children. She found many opportunities to teach and care for them. She touched many lives through nearly 30 years of running her own daycare. She found joy in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

LaDawn loved crafting, and always had a sewing, knitting, or quilting project in the works. She also had a great love for music. She played the piano and the organ in church and enjoyed singing in choirs and attending her sons’ concerts.

After 33 years living in Billings, LaDawn and Thurman moved to Spanish Fork, Utah to be closer to their sons and their families. They lived there for over 20 years, and loved the ward and neighborhood there.

LaDawn was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served faithfully in many callings over the years. She served alongside her husband as a service missionary for the Church. She also was a temple worker, serving in the Billings Montana, Provo Utah, and Payson Utah temples.

LaDawn is survived by her children Daven, Dan (Carrie), Darren (Kristi), and Drew (Yung), and daughter-in-law Susan; ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and her beloved sisters Marilyn Draney, Christine (Barry) Finnell, and Gloria (Lanny) Draney. She was preceded in death by her parents, her son DeShawn, her husband Thurman, her older brother Gaylen, and her brother-in-law Dennis Draney.

LaDawn’s life was a beautiful tapestry of faith, family, and service. Her gentle strength and loving heart will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

A visitation will be held in LaDawn’s honor on Saturday, October 18, 2025 from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 1911 East 1850 South, Spanish Fork, UT. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the same location.