Morris Kjar

Morris Ashton Kjar
12/31/1926 – 6/20/2014

Our beloved and gentle father, Morris Ashton Kjar, 87, a devoted disciple of the Savior, passed away Friday, June 20, 2014 at his home in Salt Lake City surrounded by his family and his eternal companion of sixty-four years, Marjorie Castleton Kjar.

Born December 31, 1926 to Joseph Edward Kjar and Effie Morris Ashton, he was an avid basketball player at South High School and later served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Western Canada and served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. He married his sweetheart Marjorie Castleton in 1950 in the Salt Lake Temple, and later graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Marketing. He served as Mission President of the New Zealand South Mission together with the family of six children from 1966-1969. He and Marjorie cherished each missionary son and daughter with a love that continued long after those years. A devoted and humble church leader, he served as Bishop twice, once for the University 3rd Ward (University of Utah student ward) and later as bishop of the Parley’s 3rd Ward. In the 1970s he served as a Regional Representative of the Twelve Apostles in parts of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. He served as a sealer in the Salt Lake Temple for twenty-seven years blessing many living and deceased through his compassionate and sensitive way. His service was a constant reminder of the joyful fullness of life together on earth and the promise of family life for the eternities realized through temple ordinances.

In his professional life, he was part of the family retail clothing business, Castleton’s, for over thirty years, and in his retirement years opened a store called the Sock Box in Murray owing to the trust and close friendship of others who came to his aid during those years. But his greatest fulfillment came as a beloved teacher of the gospel. He opened the scriptures to others, from his early experiences teaching seminary to guiding his institute students later in life. He always looked for opportunities to teach, and the Savior was always the divine Exemplar and center of his lessons.

Devoted to his family, he is survived by his wife Marjorie and children Debbie (Dean) Carver, Linda (Craig) Burton, Marsha (Bob) Decker, Marvin (Kristen) Kjar, Joel (Anne) Kjar, and Robert (Minda) Kjar, as well as twenty-seven grandchildren and fifty-five great-grandchildren, all of whom he would remind, “remember who you oughta be”. He was preceded in death by his parents and dear second mother, Eva, and siblings LaVerne (Vern) Knight, Lois (Loke) Brown, Effie (Betty) Kjar, Joseph (Joe) A. Kjar, Edward (Ted) A. Kjar, Marjorie (Marge) Raymond, and survived by his youngest sister, Norma (Noni) Dalton.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 28 at 11:00am at the Salt Lake South Cottonwood Stake Center, 1250 East 4800 South. Viewings will be held Friday, June 27, from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Salt Lake South Cottonwood Stake Center and Saturday, June 28, from 9:15-10:15 am prior to service. Interment will be at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, and arrangements are handled by Russon Brothers Mortuary of Salt Lake City. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the church’s General Missionary Fund or to the Temple Patron Fund. Online guestbook available at www.russonmortuary.com.