Wendy Clawson Phillips' Obituary
Wendy Clawson Phillips, beloved mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully in her home on July 8th, 2026 after a courageous battle with cancer at the age of 61 in Ogden, Utah surrounded by her loving family.
Born on June 13, 1965, to Jack and Eileen Clawson, Wendy entered the world with a kind and generous heart that yearned to love and nurture others.
She was the eldest of 7 and grew up alongside her siblings Doug, Dave, Andy, James, Jill, and Jared in Huntsville, UT, where we can only assume she started perfecting the patience that would later qualify her to raise eight children.
Wendy’s greatest accomplishment and most cherished title was always “Mom.” She is the proud mother of Tairah (Jared), Ashlee [of Leland Skeen], Jace (Lauren), Paige (Cameron), and Bryan (Samantha) that she raised with former husband John Conrow. Later, she welcomed Allie (Parker) and twins Chloe and Brynn with her current husband Thomas Phillips. Together, her eight children became the center of her entire world.
She is also the adored grandma of 17 grandkids: Tyson, Derek, Bennett, Seth, Logan, Owen, Max, Libbie, Morgan, Cy, Stevie, Adley, Mack, Milo, Mett, Mozz, and Raelee.
Wendy remained a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and spent her life quietly serving others. She faithfully served in numerous callings, but of all her roles and titles in life, the most meaningful work was always found inside the walls of her own home. Raising eight kids was her life’s calling and somehow, she managed to make the chaos look beautiful.
Wendy spent some of her happiest years raising her children in both Montana and Utah. She found so much joy in the beauty of the mountains and the life she built surrounded by them, creating a lifetime of memories with her family in the places she called home.
Wendy was incredibly patient, which was required when dragging eight kids to church every Sunday. But even Wendy had her limits. One Sunday, while her kids were fighting outside the chapel and testing every ounce of patience she had left, she finally snapped and said, “Stop fighting you guys, we’re in the damn church.” Naturally, everyone started laughing. That was Wendy. Loving God, doing her best, and still being real.
Growing up, her kids were used to coming home from school to the smell of fresh baked treats cooling on the counter. They also quickly learned the most important question: “Are these for us or for someone else?” Usually, they were for someone else. That was Wendy. Always noticing. Always giving. Always finding a reason to show up for someone.
She was famous for her cinnamon rolls and orange rolls at Christmas and had a sweet tooth that could not be denied. Some of her favorites included black licorice caramels, Farr’s playdough and black licorice ice cream, and golden puff rice crispy treats.
Although, finishing a drink or a plate of food was apparently not her thing. And being on time? Well… that wasn’t exactly her gift either. Half-full cups would be scattered around the house. Whether she was saving the last little bit or simply forgot about it remains a mystery.
And if you ever waited on Wendy to leave the house, you knew there was a good chance she’d be fashionably late. Her kids even had their own little chant to encourage her along, singing “Let’s go, let’s go, L-E-T-S-G-O” as they waited for her to make her grand exit. Some of these habits were lovingly passed down to her children, so her legacy of abandoned drinks and running just a little behind schedule will continue for generations.
She had a way of teaching her children without making life feel too serious. She encouraged them to do hard things, choose the right, and always love others. She was incredibly intuitive and somehow always knew when someone was struggling, sad, or doing something they probably shouldn’t be doing.
She was the queen of little details. She loved blue China plates and tea sets, period dramas, and evenings watching old movies with her daughters. She loved playing the piano, hearing music fill the house and having spontaneous dance parties with her kids.
Wendy had a way of making everyone feel like they mattered. She was witty, patient, kind-hearted, intuitive, and always an active listener. She was the kind of person you could sit next to for 10 minutes and suddenly find yourself telling her your entire life story - your struggles, your worries, your secrets. She never judged. She never made anyone feel less than. But Wendy had a way of speaking truth with so much love that even when she called you out, somehow you left feeling more understood than before.
Her famous words, “love your guts,” were more than just a phrase. They were how she lived. She loved honestly, deeply, completely, and without hesitation. She loved people enough to help them become better. She spent 61 years teaching everyone around her that they were just as important as anyone else and that everyone deserved love.
She spent years helping women in her community feel beautiful, spending hours doing hair (which she taught herself to do), but more importantly, helping them feel loved.
She was also, annoyingly, good at just about everything. She could walk into any room and instantly make it cozy. She could open a pantry that looked empty and somehow create a gourmet meal. She could throw together an outfit effortlessly, keep her jet-black hair perfect, her eyelashes flawless, and her porcelain skin glowing. But Wendy’s beauty was never just on the outside. Anyone who knew her knew the most beautiful thing about her was the way she loved and listened.
Even during her battle with cancer, Wendy remained Wendy. Cancer may have taken many things, but it never took her kindness, her humor, her faith, her beauty, or the love she poured into everyone around her. Her family joked that even on her deathbed her skin still looked incredible because apparently some people really are God’s favorites.
Truthfully, we loved and adored everything about Wendy: her quirks, her endless patience, her ability to know exactly what you needed before you said it, and her way of getting everyone to clean by making it sound like a fun group activity. The only thing we never loved about her was that damn cancer.
Her biggest worry was leaving her children because Wendy truly lived for her family. Her greatest hope was that they would always remember to choose Christ, trust Him, and know that He is always there.
Wendy leaves behind a legacy of faith, laughter, cinnamon rolls, dance parties, half-finished drinks, beautiful spaces, and people who knew without question that they were loved by her.
And until everyone is together again, we will hear her saying the words she said so many times: “Love your guts.”
Funeral Services
A viewing will be held on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
1029 26th Street, Ogden, Utah 84401.
A viewing will also be held on Thursday, July 16, 2026, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the same location, followed by funeral services from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Interment will follow at the Huntsville Cemetery in Huntsville, Utah.
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