Maryann MacMurray's Obituary
Maryann Olsen MacMurray has recently joined her husband Val and daughter Maren in the next life. She lived a vibrant and beautiful life, passing surrounded by loved ones. She raised 5 children and had 15 grandchildren who all love her dearly.
Maryann Olsen was born on April 14, 1943, in the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah to Ross Wilson Olsen and Evelyn Blanche Smith. She grew up curious and mischievous in the Avenues of Salt Lake, on C Street with David Ross, Kent Smith, and Janet Evelyn. Here she set an empty lot on fire playing games. She fondly remembered her time in the pep club with friends, pulling pranks and always laughing. She spent a lot of time with her family at Strawberry Ranch. Maryann swam and taught at Deseret Gym; she was awarded many medals for her swimming abilities. She then went to Brigham Young University and graduated in Sociology with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Here she met her loving husband Val Dan MacMurray, and then married in the Salt Lake Temple. Later she took some graduate classes at Harvard when she lived in Boston. She has 5 children Heidi Ann, Joshua Dan, Maren Brooke, Erika Danielle, and Kai Jared.
She spent time as a mother, a teacher, a poet, a rebel, a sister, a friend, a grandmother, a feminist, a puzzler, a writer, an artist and a wife. She was published in “Sisters in Spirit: Mormon Women in Historical and Cultural Perspective” with her poem Oil Upon Oil. She was also published in “Dialog: A Journal of Mormon Thought” (volume 15, issue 2, pages 47, Summer 1982) with her poems Calling and Journal. She was passionate about women’s rights and spoke out her whole life advocating for them. She was an early member of a women’s group called Retrenchment that she passionately supported throughout her life. She wrote a hymn about her sisters in the faith that is called Women of Zion composed by Lynn Carson. Her long-time family friend Gloria Reese was a loyal and dear friend. They raised their children together and took them on many adventures and trips in a station wagon. In 1998 she took a writers’ retreat to Ireland with her closest friends including Mary Bradford. Maryann taught her children to always be themselves and be creative in all that they do.
Maryann spent much of her life in nature. She would spend weeks at a time living in campsites in the Uinta’s, Idaho and Montana, often befriending camp hosts and fellow campers while enjoying kayaking and fishing. Maryann loved to be near the water whether in it, or on it. She spent her last days in Cache Valley Assisted Living where she had many dear friends and puzzled peacefully all day. Her family visited her often, and her grandchild even worked at the facility. She passed peacefully at Logan Regional Hospital on August 17, 2023, surrounded by loving family.
What’s your fondest memory of Maryann?
What’s a lesson you learned from Maryann?
Share a story where Maryann's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Maryann you’ll never forget.
How did Maryann make you smile?