Richard Lynn Higginson

Late in the morning of Monday, October 25th, 2021-after 4 miraculous days of hugs, hand-holding, and selfless service-learned at his knee-the tremendous heart of our beloved patriarch Lynn Higginson stopped beating, ushering him on to his next great adventure and a much-deserved reunion with those he has missed so much.

Richard Lynn Higginson was born October 17, 1940 to John Detton Higginson and Merle Dean Harris in Nampa, Idaho. Lynn was the third son of eight children born to John and Merle. He was a happy, curious, smart and talented boy. He thrived in their loving home and was taught to strive for excellence in whatever the task, as well as the importance of the gospel, family, work, education, music and patriotism. As a young man Lynn followed his two older brothers, Dennis and Carol, into the established pattern of hard physical work, academic achievement, chores at home and faithful church attendance.

As soon as physical stature made a proffered age believable, he brought his younger brother David along

on that work, and they became nearly inseparable through the rest of their journey to adulthood.

During the school year Lynn milked cows at Tobler’s Dairy. During the summers he worked with his brothers for Green Giant company on the industrial farms of Eastern Oregon’s high desert. Through hard work and smooth talk the two younger brothers quickly moved to operating heavy machinery ahead of men twice their age.  Though their talk was big, they always backed it up with excellence and reliability.  By about the age of 14 Lynn had fallen deeply in love. The object of his affection: the car. Though he later lamented the money spent and the devotion given to such a temporary possession,  he owned at least one car for the rest of his time at home. He would later reminisce about the many makes and models of cars he had owned throughout his youth…and he might have told a story or two about late-night, lights-out runs to beat local law enforcement home.

In spite of this one exception, Lynn was well behaved and caused his parents very little worry. He was proud of his family and always worked to bring honor to his parents and the family name. He knew that being a Higginson meant living up to a certain standard. He lived out his life never deviating from that standard of excellence. From his father’s example he also learned an exceptional respect for women and a strong desire to protect them from the potential coarseness of men. At times this determined effort to protect ran counter to the desires of his daughters to actually date and marry men.

Lynn was meticulously obedient to the principles he was taught at home and at church. He never exempted himself from the hard things or made excuses to take an easier path.

When age allowed, he took the opportunity to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Central States Mission.  He served honorably and was blessed with many opportunities to teach and to lead. It was during this mission that his path first crossed with that of the beautiful Karen Maude Hatch, who was visiting her sister’s family in Joplin, Missouri.

Lynn felt a tremor in the force when they met. Karen may have felt it as well.

After completing his mission he contacted Karen in Provo, Utah and, after a swift courtship, they were married on November 15, 1962 in the Logan Utah Temple.

Their alliance was tectonic. Their talents and life experiences: perfectly complimentary.

Their whole: exponentially greater than the sum of their halves. Together they were a force for good that would bless the lives of so many for nearly 60 years.  They welcomed 11 children to their family through the years.  This was just one short of the 12 that Karen wanted. First to join them was a daughter Karey Lynn. Richard Lee, Nairn David, Bruce Daniel, Robert Nathan, Lorianne, John Thomas, Lisa Marie, Leslie Kay, Spencer K and Mark Edward followed.

At times there were cousins, friends or someone in need included in the family mix as well.

Lynn graduated from BYU and began a career in teaching. He was a masterful teacher who immersed his students in the wonder and structure of the English language and in English Literature.

He would quote poetry in Middle-English and his students heard and learned everything from Beowulf to Chaucer to Shakespeare and beyond.  His knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject was catching and he inspired many to pursue their own passion for English.

He and Karen created homes in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Missouri during his teaching career; always improving their home and position. In their wake they left hundreds of dear friends, many of whom still keep in touch.

At one point they bought and remodeled the old Wallsburg School into a comfortable home where their growing family could enjoy year-round sports in the gym as well as the beauty that is Wallsburg.  Also in Wallsburg he and his brothers had the audacity to build a log truck, buy stands of timber at auction and spend several summers logging in the mountains above Kamas, Utah. Lynn ran a Stihl 090-the largest one-man chainsaw built-day after day in those mountains. They worked together to build each other’s homes, strengthen each other’s families and create a loving web of family support.

In addition to his teaching skill, Lynn was also an excellent speaker and had a booming voice that was easily recognizable. But his strongest skill may have been his listening. There was always room at family visits for young people to participate and to be heard. He became a valued source of practical advice and wisdom for his own children, and for so many others among family and friends. His insight, diagnosis and solution to a world of problems came easily and he was so easy to talk to. Whatever the need, he saw you, he listened to you, he loved you and he did his best to help you.

Summers in the Lynn and Karen family were most often spent on road trips with all the kids in tow. Each year was a new adventure. Usually the final destination was Seattle, Washington to visit family, but there was no “usual” path to get there. Routes through the Canadian Rockies, San Francisco, and every other beautiful scenic byway were explored. Favorites were repeated. In the process the children were all taught many important lessons: To appreciate the beauty God has created; to immerse yourself often in that beauty; that you can live on sandwiches made on Mom’s lap while driving; that if you forego the new car and toys you can take your children and see the country even on a teacher’s salary; and that there are church buildings in other cities where you are expected to attend on Sunday.

Speaking of Sundays, Lynn always attended church. No excuses. He read And studied the scriptures faithfully. No excuses. He was a scriptural master and a gospel scholar almost without equal.

He served in many callings in The Church of Jesus Christ throughout his life, including serving as bishop twice. But the calling he loved most was the call to teach. It didn’t matter the age. He could tailor an interesting, insightful and inspiring lesson to any group.

After the family moved to Granby, Missouri Lynn left teaching and was hired by The Church of Jesus Christ to oversee meetinghouse maintenance in the North America Central area. This new assignment required a good amount of travel around the great plains and into Canada. He soon saw that his absence and the often-solo nature of running a home of 11 children was taking its toll on his sweetheart. Between school years in the summer of 1983 the family once again left friends and relatives behind and moved to Lawson, Missouri outside Kansas City. This location was more central to the his work area and somewhat reduced the number of days and nights he was away from home. The home remained a hive of activity. One April afternoon in 1985 while Lynn and Karen were away at the Dallas Temple they received word that there had been a car accident back home. Their 16-year-old son Bruce had been killed and three other children-John, Lisa and Leslie-were in the hospital with serious injuries. The news staggered them. They were broken. They went to the airport to catch the next flight back home, arriving in the middle of the night. As they worked over the next few days to comfort and care for those injured and plan a funeral service, the community rallied around them to lift them up. Hundreds of friends, neighbors and students from across the region opened their hearts and poured out their love. Christ’s immeasurable love was felt through the hundreds of kind deeds done by those in the community and beyond. This event fueled Lynn’s increased reliance on the message of the Gospel and provided a practical example to which even his younger children could relate.

Lynn’s abilities and excellence at work drew the attention of headquarters. He was offered a position as administrative manager over his previous area. The new job’s location: Salt Lake City.

In 1987, with heavy hearts, the family left their nearly-completed new home, dear friends and the community that had lifted them up in their time of greatest loss and moved to Bountiful, Utah.

Lynn’s work at Church Headquarters introduced him to great friends and offered more diverse projects on which to shine. He enjoyed his work and felt great satisfaction in working to streamline programs and save costs.

When President Hinckley announced the push for 100 operating temples worldwide, Lynn was offered a position as project manager in the Temple Construction Department.

In this favorite position he had involvement in the construction of new temples in Regina, Saskatchewan, St. Paul, Minnesota, Anchorage, Alaska, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Nashville, Tennessee, Birmingham, Alabama, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Helsinki, Finland, Nauvoo, Illinois, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Manhattan, New York, Monticello, Utah, Accra, Ghana, The Haag, Netherlands, Houston, Texas, Memphis, Tennessee, Bismarck, North Dakota, Helena, Montana and Aba, Nigeria. He found great satisfaction in knowing he had played a small part in reaching that goal of 100 temples. He found opportunities to road trip with his family to any of the project sites within driving distance(North America). In the end, Lynn and Karen took their children to the vast majority of states in these United States.  His work in this job was not without its own opportunities for adventure. While en route to visit the Aba, Nigeria construction site he and his architect colleague were car-jacked, kidnapped at gunpoint, robbed of their wallets, watches and other valuables, then driven out of Lagos and left by the side of the road. He was proud of the fact that he had handed over only his watch and a money clip of one dollar bills he kept on hand for tips and that he had retained his wallet. When their car was recovered it was ironic that his watch had been left behind by the robbers. Evidently it didn’t meet Nigerian criminal minimum quality standards.

In 2002 Lynn retired. Uncomfortable being out of the harness, He and Karen immediately began making preparations to serve missions.

They were called on two missions to Stratford, Ontario, Canada where each time they served in leadership roles, reveled in their association with members in the area and in making new friends.

In their limited free time they welcomed visits from the road-trip warriors they had trained…along with their own growing families. When they returned to Utah they were called on multiple missions to the South Davis Hospital where they again made new friends, wore themselves out in service and continued their lifelong examples of being actively engaged in the work.

Lynn and Karen were always most comfortable carrying heavy loads while surrounded by their family.

In the two years since their last mission ended Lynn helped nurse his dear Love through her battle with cancer. He has loved traveling with different children’s families to adventures far and near. He has basked in the large weekly gatherings in his living room. He has delighted in updates from his posterity on their own successes, struggles and adventures. He has continued his role as friend, advisor, counselor and confidant to the many of us who have relied on him for his wisdom.

He has loved sitting in his chair next to his Karen, holding her hand, feeling content and greatly blessed by just the presence of the big, messy, loving family they sacrificed so much to create.

As his health and mobility declined, Lynn became more and more grateful for the day trips, lunches, dinners, visits and other acts of service performed by his family.

His last 4 days were a miraculous gift filled with expressions of love, heroic service, waves and kisses and cries, increased unity and euphoria and despair, and, finally, his relief. We miss him terribly.

His loss leaves a curious blankness. An emptiness that seems unfathomable.

But we will soldier on like the army for good we were trained to be. We will not make practical excuses or take shortcuts in our beliefs or our duties. We will do what must be done to see him again.

Lynn was preceded in death by his parents, John Detton and Merle Dean Harris Higginson, his brothers John Dennis Higginson, Carol D Higginson and David Lee Higginson, his beloved son Bruce Daniel Higginson, beloved son-in-law Aaron Sverre Harkness and his beloved adopted granddaughter Megan Grimes.

Lynn is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Karen Maude Hatch Higginson.

He is also survived by his brothers Michael(Becky) Higginson and Timothy(Bonnie)Higginson; his sisters Cheryl(Micheal)Carson and Tamara(Ken)Howell; his sisters-in-law Sherrel Higginson, Percy Higginson and Louise Higginson; his children Karey(Travis)White, Richard(Kara)Higginson, Nairn Higginson, Robert(Teresa)Higginson, Lorianne(Scott)Archibald, John(Tawnie)Higginson, Lisa(John)Richardson, Leslie Harkness, Spencer(Kristine)Higginson and Mark(Suzanne)Higginson. Lynn is also survived by 46 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, in-laws and friends who he considers family.

Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, October 30, 2021 at the Bountiful 34th Ward Building, 540 N 1200 East, Bountiful, UT. A viewing will be held Friday evening from 6:00 -8:00  p.m. at  Russon Mortuary,  295 North Main Street, Bountiful, UT., and Saturday morning 11:30 a.m. -12:45 pm at the church prior to services. Interment: Bountiful City Cemetery

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