Alan Marsden

Alan Marsden, of West Bountiful, Utah, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 17, 2023 at the age of 86. He lived life cheerfully with a happy whistle and with humility and gratitude and a tremendous love for his family. His family loved him greatly in return.
Alan was born January 23, 1937 in Birstall, West Yorkshire, England but grew up in nearby Batley as a blonde haired, blue-eyed, English boy with a West Yorkshire accent. His talent for singing was evident at a young age as a member of a boys choir at a local parish church. Alan also had athletic talent, serving as a midfielder and vice-captain of his championship high school football (soccer) team.
At the age of 13 Alan joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with his family. In 1954, at the age of 17, he accepted an invitation from his brother-in-law, John Ditty, to accompany him on a trip to Northern Ireland where he was introduced to John’s younger sister, Lilian Beatrice, who the family called Trixie.  To everyone else she was known as Bea.  Alan and Bea were married July 9, 1956 in Belfast. Shortly afterward Alan was deployed to Egypt as a corporal in the British Army during the Suez crisis.
In September 1958, Alan and Bea and their baby daughter Lesley traveled to England for the dedication of the London Temple and became just the second family ever to be sealed there.  In 1962, during a bus ride home from work, Alan had what he described as a profound personal revelation that he was to take his family to America.  In October of that year he settled with his young family in West Bountiful where Alan would live the rest of his life. 
From the beginning, Alan worked hard to support his family, including as a milkman and sheet metal apprentice.  In 1966, he gratefully accepted a job with Mountain Fuel Supply Company where he grew and progressed to retirement, always considering his job a blessing.  In 1970 he became a citizen of the United States and that West Yorkshire accent slowly diminished. Throughout his life in America, Alan entertained thousands of people in many hundreds of events as a singer, even recording an album and headlining a concert in 1977.
Through the decades, Alan served faithfully in many church callings and from 1996 to 1998 Alan and Bea served a full-time mission for the church in the England Birmingham Mission. He thereafter jokingly referred to Bea as his senior companion, including for several years as the two served faithfully as temple workers in the Bountiful Temple.
For 58 years in life, Alan and Bea had an exceptionally loving marriage and companionship. Bea passed away in 2014 and despite his broken heart, Alan remained a dedicated and loving father, grandfather, and great grandfather.
Alan was preceded in death by his wife; son, Archie; grandson, Christopher; granddaughter, Ashleigh; his father, Archie and his mother, Elizabeth; his brothers, Roy and Peter and his sisters Beatrice and Marjorie.
He is survived by his children, Lesley Ann Leger (Mike), Timothy (Margie), Alan (Marivic), Lilian Nielsen (Cory) and David (Christine) and his daughter-in-law Julee Marsden and his brother, Derek Marsden (Dorothy) of West Bretton, West Yorkshire, England. He’s also survive by 21 grandchildren and 35 great grandchildren.
A viewing will be held Friday, July 21 at Russon Mortuary, 295 Main Street, Bountiful Utah, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Funeral services will be held at the West Bountiful Third Ward, 1750 North 900 West, West Bountiful, Utah on Saturday, July 22, 11:00 am with a viewing 9:30 am to 10:30 am. Interment will take place at Lakeview Cemetery in Bountiful.
Our family wishes to express gratitude to Alan’s friends at Legacy House of Park Lane and Inspiration Hospice.