Ann D Mecham

Our beloved mother, grandmother, and sister, Ann Dunkley Mecham, 84, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on February 1, 2023. Born to Lucille McCarrey and Willis Robert Dunkley, Sr. on August 22, 1938, Ann was the second of six children, all of whom loved and emulated their parents’ faith and work ethic.

As a young girl, Ann enjoyed skiing, horseback riding, and ice skating. She loved sleeping on haystacks under the stars at her grandparents’ farm in Whitney, Idaho where her Grandma Dunkley would dress up as a ghost and spook the children. She loved water skiing in the cool summer evenings while working at the family’s lumber mill in Fort St. James, Canada.

In her youth Ann developed a life-long passion for skiing. Ann and her brothers would get to the ski hill by any means necessary, including hitching a ride. For 65 years, she was a fixture on Utah’s slopes, where she passed on her love for skiing to her 12 children and 50 grandchildren.

After graduating from Ogden High, Ann attended Weber State College, the University of Utah, and Brigham Young University. At BYU she was elected Snow Queen and was the 1st Chair Violinist in the BYU Symphony Orchestra. Graduating in 1962 with a degree in Elementary Education, Ann taught at Lowell and Rose Park Elementary Schools in Salt Lake City.

Ann met the love of her life, Alan Frame Mecham, while attending a ceramics course at the University of Utah. Alan worked nights as a janitor cleaning the art building, where he swept Ann off her feet with his handsome looks, kindly gentleman behavior, and simple goodness. They were married on June 5, 1964 in the Salt Lake Temple. In 1965, the young couple packed their Volkswagen bus and drove to New York City, where Alan attended Columbia Law School and Ann taught 6th grade. In 1968, Ann and Alan returned to Salt Lake City where they raised their family.

Ann dedicated her life to her children and cultivated their talents. She found joy in helping her kids progress at tennis, piano, skiing, dancing, and swimming. For more than a decade, you could find Ann and her children hitting balls at 6am at the Salt Lake Tennis Club. Ann had a pure love for the outdoors and marveled at the beauty of nature. She consistently expressed awe and amazement for the creations of this world. Ann loved gardening and working in her immaculate yard, which served as home to countless weddings, showers, parties, and reunions. A world-class host and cook, Ann loved bringing people together with great food and fun conversation. She adored little children and always made time to nurture and love the youngest grandchildren.

Ann’s greatest treasure was her beloved husband and 12 children, in whom she found great joy and happiness. Ann loved children and she and Alan opened their home to exchange students, foster children and extended family members. Her qualities of hard work, perseverance, optimism, sincerity, and faith endeared her to her family and friends.

Ann’s strong testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ was expressed in her service within Primary and Young Women Presidencies, and in her legendary Relief Society lessons. She spent much of her later years nurturing and serving others with letter writing, gifts, cleaning, yardwork, and other acts of kindness.

Preceded in death by her husband Alan and her parents.

Ann is survived by her siblings Robert (Karen) Dunkley, Richard (Vicki) Dunkley, Ralph (Dianna) Dunkley, John (Kathy) Dunkley, and Jean (Steven) Brown; and her children: Thomas (Nanette), Mary (Daniel) Nelson, Jane, Joseph (Emily), Sarah, John (Erin), Rebekah (Douglas) Dent, Elizabeth (Gregory) Lieber, Jacob (Kelsi), Martha, Rachel, Joshua (Cassidy), her 50 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Friday, February 10, 11:00am, at Parley’s 1st Ward building, 2350 South (Parleys Canyon Blvd.) 2100 East, Salt Lake City. Friends may call on Thursday, February 9, from 6:00-8:00 pm, and Friday, February 10, from 9:30-10:30am at the Parley’s 1st Ward.

Funeral services are available to view online at Zoom Meeting.

Meeting ID: 885 1452 8225

Passcode: 387388

Flowers may be sent to Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary.