Charmaine G. Halversen

On June 11, 2021, our spunky, fun-loving, lifelong tennis-playing Mother died peacefully, due to complications from living her life to the fullest. We can imagine the joyous reunion she had with our Father Tom, whom she has missed these many years, and our sister Maren, now free of the difficulties of Down Syndrome that challenged her while here on earth.
Charmaine Guthrie Halversen, 92, was born October 30, 1928, in her grandparents’ bedroom in Mesa, Arizona. At the age of six, she lost her mother due to a post-surgical staph infection. Kind and generous grandparents, aunts and uncles stepped in to help raise Charmaine and her siblings. Through that experience, she became very self-reliant, and later worked hard to put herself through Brigham Young University. After graduation, she moved to San Francisco where she taught school then married a handsome young medical school student, Thomas A. Halversen, in the Mesa, Arizona Temple in 1952.
Tom and Charmaine moved to Bountiful, Utah in 1960, where he practiced Pediatrics, followed by Child Psychiatry at Primary Children’s Hospital. He passed away on January 30, 1998.
After Maren was born with Down Syndrome, Charmaine worked tirelessly to make life better for her and for all those with disabilities. Maren became the first student with Down Syndrome integrated into Utah’s regular school system because of her Mother’s persistance. She, along with others, helped create the Special Needs Mutual, which has now blessed the lives of countless young people.
She shared her beautiful singing voice in many places and brought her guitar and auto-harp to Oak Hills Elementary to introduce folk music to the children there. An avid tennis player (she took second in State during high school in Arizona), she continued to play competitive tennis until she was 82 (stopped only by a hip replacement) and earned many medals at the Huntsman Senior Games. She traveled to many lands across the world and loved the different cultures. Charmaine was the neighborhood Mom to many, and supplied local charitable organizations with anything they needed. Seen and unseen, she has been a wonderful example of true charity. Keeping her sense of humor through good times and bad, she has always followed the mantra of always “looking for the good.”
Heartfelt thanks to our IHC angels, Leah and Margaret, and especially to Gary and Jenn Halversen, and their daughter Annie Grace, for taking such loving and tender care of Mom in their home. Charmaine is survived by daughters, Carla (David) Eskelsen, Laurel (Rick) Draper, Heidi (Gary) Calder, and sons, C. Tom (Veronica), and Gary (Jenn) Halversen, and was much-loved by her 21 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Tom and her daughter, Maren.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 19 at 11:00 am at the Barton Creek Ward, 640 S. 750 E., Bountiful. Viewings will be held Friday night, June 18 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Russon Mortuary, 295 N. Main, Bountiful, and Saturday morning from 9:30-10:30 at the church prior to the service. Online guest book at www.russonmortuary.com. If desired, donations can be made to Primary Children’s Hospital.
Mom, we love and will greatly miss you. Congratulations on advancing to the finals of the Ultimate Grand Slam.

Services will be streamed live on Russon Brothers Mortuary Facebook page and this obituary page.