Obituary: Thomas Brimhall McKay

1917 ~ 2004

A beloved father and friend,

Thomas Brimhall McKay passed away on May 17th, 2004 due to causes incident to old age.

Thomas was born May 11th, 1917 in Ogden, Utah to Thomas Evans McKay and Fawn Robertson Brimhall, joining two older sisters with another two to follow. He enjoyed the farm life in Ogden Valley, growing up not only with his siblings but with a number of cousins all dwelling in the David McKay home in Huntsville, Utah.

He graduated from Weber High School in 1935 and then served a mission for the LDS Church in Eastern Germany just prior to World War II, joining his then Mission President father and mother briefly in Switzerland during the withdrawal of the LDS missionaries from Europe. He returned to the States and resumed college studies at the University of Chicago, along with his sister, Fawn McKay Brodie. He returned to Utah to continue his studies at BYU, where he met and fell in love with the very lovely and popular Sarah Knowlton. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on December 6th, 1941. Sarah experienced severe health problems over the years, but in spite of great trials and suffering she endured, they were able to raise a daughter, Marilyn, and a son, Thomas Knowlton. They were to lose another daughter, Mary, after one day of life. They made their home in the Avenues area of Salt Lake City. Tom worked for a time as a purchasing agent for Geneva Steel, and then spent the remainder of his career as an insurance agent. This gave the family the opportunity to travel extensively and to have many cherished experiences throughout the Western United States and Canada. Sarah's health problems worsened until her death in 1965. Tom later met Suzanne Wilson Bell, who was teaching at the time in the business department at Ricks College.

The two were married July 20, 1967 in the Logan, Utah LDS Temple. Along with Suzanne's children from a prior marriage (Diane, Glen, Jane and Kathryn), together they had two boys, David and Morgan, losing Morgan at the age of 16. They had a wonderful life together in Rexburg, Idaho and Alta, Wyoming, living close to the Grand Tetons on the land where Suzanne was born and raised. Tom served in many positions in the LDS church, working especially with the young men. His love for traveling influenced not only his family but many young priesthood boys who look with fondness to this day on the experiences they shared with him. Tom and Suzanne later moved to Logan and then to Orem, where Tom's health began to decline and where he was to unexpectedly lose Suzanne, who passed away on August 26, 2003.