Julene Croft Beck

Julene Croft Beck passed away on April 12, 2017 at the age of 67 in Murray, Utah due to complications from heart valve thrombosis.  Julene was born at LDS hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 13, 1949 to Robert Schmidlin Croft and June (Mackay) Croft and was the second of seven children.  She grew up on Maywood Drive in Sugarhouse, Utah where one of her greatest joys was grabbing a piece of cardboard during a heavy rainstorm and riding down the gutters.  She also took pride in whipping her brothers in races and wrestling.  She graduated from Highland High School where she was a cheerleader and served as Queen of Sugarhouse Days Parade.  She enjoyed playing her father’s violin; sewing and quilting with her Grandmother and Mother; water skiing; and hiking in the Uinta and Wind River Mountains where she fished with her Dad.
Julene received her bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from the University of Utah where she also took ballet and played violin as a member of the University of Utah Youth Orchestra.  She obtained her teaching certificate after graduation and taught PE, Health and Science at Central Junior High School in Salt Lake City, Utah.  While at the University of Utah she met her future husband Gary Beck and they were married in the LDS temple in Salt Lake City, Utah on June 18, 1970.  After their marriage, they relocated to Bountiful, Utah where they raised their eight children.
Julene loved her children and never stifled their creativity and spirit.  She felt strongly that children needed to be able to independently explore their world to develop their unique creativity and talents. She provided ample outlets for their creativity by, for example, sewing capes for their superhero’s Underoos.  She loved watching her children and later grandchildren learning, growing and living life to the fullest and loved telling stories and laughing with her family and relished games that required strategy.
She was best friends with her husband and they laughed together, cried together and worked side-by-side together.  They studied the scriptures together and argued the scriptures together.  They could always be seen holding hands and in their later years they traveled together and were able to spend time alone together in their cabin in Bear Lake and were completely satisfied with just each other’s company.
Julene loved to serve others and spent more time caring for others than herself and always made herself available to anyone in need.  She served as Doctor Mom patiently shepherding her children through childhood illnesses and an endless parade of stitches and broken bones.  It wouldn’t be unusual to find her at night comforting a child by gently “tickling their back” to help them to sleep.
She loved the outdoors and loved sitting quietly, and as she called it, communing with nature and especially loved spending time at “Uncle EJ’s Cabin” at Christmas Meadows.  

She loved stargazing in the high mountains and knew even the straggliest weed by name and also its medicinal value.  She loved gardening and her garden reflected the meadow with its riot of grasses and flowers.
Julene was able to accept people at face value and meet them where they were but still see them as they could be, which made her a collector of stray children, teenagers and animals.  Many would pass through her door in tow behind one of her eight children and all would find an open ear, an open heart and something to eat.  Many decided to stay and some even became in-laws.  She carried this spirit with her into the community and was the ready friend of the lonely and misunderstood.
She was a designer, crafter and creator and sewed for Mormon Handicraft for many years.  She loved to write and helped compose many a high school paper and was a three-time Eagle Scout.
Julene was a lifelong member of the LDS church and loved family history, temple attendance, scripture study and serving members of her ward and community.  Julene had a personal relationship with her Savior Jesus Christ.  Her greatest desire was that her children obtain that same witness.   Through her daily expressions of gratitude, service and praise to the Lord, there was no doubt to all who knew her that she had an unwavering testimony of Jesus Christ.
She is survived by her husband, Gary Beck and her children Tristan (Halls), Jamie (Whitaker), Weston, Jenice (Shipley), Tyson, Devin, Clayton and Abrecia (Fetty).  She will be sorely missed by all those that loved her and we desperately miss her.
The viewing will be held Tuesday at Russon Brothers Mortuary at 295 No. Main St Bountiful Utah from 6PM to 8PM.  Memorial services will be held Wednesday the 19th beginning at 11AM at 33 South Moss Hill Dr. Bountiful Utah with a viewing beforehand from 9:45 AM to 10:45 AM.