Connie Lee Haynes Livingston

Connie Lee Haynes Livingston July 23, 1950 – July 19, 2019 Connie Lee Haynes Livingston, mother of boys, lover of unexpected flowers, collector of mixing bowls, and connoisseur of popcicles, passed away on Friday, July 19, 2019. Connie grew up in a little green house in Rupert, Idaho, and was proud to call herself an Idaho farm girl. She was born in Great Falls, Montana, and moved with her parents, Seth and Idalu Haynes, and her brother and sister to a potato and sugar beet farm when she was three years old. As a girl she would often venture into town to spend time with her Grandma Davis, who owned the general store. Throughout her life, she returned to Rupert often, especially on the Fourth of July, where she took her children, and later her grandchildren, to the Rupert parade, carnival, and fireworks. Back at the farm, the family would stage their own parade, kids marching and riding their bikes up and down the gravel drive, followed by sparklers at twilight. Though she loved her farm life, she was a city girl at heart, and, when she was eighteen, she set off to the bustling metropolis of Rexburg, Idaho to attend Ricks College. It was there that she met the love of her life, John Dee Livingston, and despite his high-waisted pleated slacks and his briefcase, she loved him from the start. Their courtship took far too long by LDS standards (nearly four years!), but when the time was right, barreling down I-15, John turned down the radio near the Point-of-the-Mountain, and, with the prison twinkling in the distance, he offered, “We should get married.” Holding daisies and standing against a vibrant blue sky, John and Connie celebrated their new marriage in front of the freshly-constructed, unlandscaped Provo Temple on May 25, 1972. They moved into Wymount Terrace and attended BYU, where Connie majored in Fashion Merchandising, and began to build their life in Provo. It was there that she gave birth to Michael John, the first of her five sons named after their father. Because they were both second children, John and Connie never wanted their second child to feel any less-than, so when another son arrived thirteen months later, they named him John Spencer. They agreed that they would end this tradition as soon as they had a daughter, who would be named Emily. Within the next six years, they had John Patrick, Christopher John, and John Casey. Emily has yet to arrive. Connie loved a good gathering: parties, baseball games, plays, and family dinners. In the last few years, she enjoyed watching her grandchildren splash around in the pool near her home. She was famous for her dramatic flair, and though she only performed a few roles in actual plays, they were spectacular. Most notably, she starred as Mayzie the Lazy Bird in the Provo 110 Ward’s 1983 roadshow production of Horton Hatches an Egg before the LDS church quashed competitive theatre. She remembered her lines for the rest of her life, and quoted them liberally: I’m tired and I’m bored And I’ve kinks in my leg From sitting, just sitting here day after day. It’s work! How I hate it! I’d much rather play! I’d take a vacation, fly off for a rest If I could find someone to stay on my nest! She also relished dressing up, as when she and John attended the Bishop’s Halloween party; he dressed as Vegas-style Elvis and she as a die cube in opaque black tights and heels—to show off her incredible legs. She had wide and varying parenting philosophies, not the least of which was that you give each child what they need in that moment, regardless of fairness to the other children. She was not a defender of fairness. She always took time thinking deeply about each child (and later, each grandchild) and what they needed from her. At Christmas and on birthdays, she would spend at least one full day dedicated to thinking only of that child and what made them unique, and uniquely hers. She loved reading books with the kids and believed that children’s books should be cleverly written and beautifully drawn. If they weren’t both, they didn’t make it into her extensive library nor on the list of books given to her grandchildren for every occasion. She also adored decorating for holidays and believed that the circumference of the gifts beneath the Christmas tree should be so vast that one could not stand at the edge of the circle and still reach the branches. Connie served joyfully in numerous callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She particularly enjoyed serving in the Young Women’s presidency, during which time she perfected her “Young Women’s” voice—a shift in tone that allowed her to seamlessly move from corralling five rowdy boys to sweetly answering the phone with perfect unruffled calm. She also served for years as a Gospel Doctrine teacher and, later, as the Secretary in the Orem Park Stake Relief Society. She worked at Brigham Young University for nearly thirty years, most notably as the Assistant to the Dean of Students. At BYU, she made lifelong friends, some of whom she planned to retire with and move to the seaside, where they would sit on the veranda watching the tide in their floppy hats and gossamer dresses. She was beloved of the students who interacted with her, especially the rugby team. This was due to the fact she loved them like her own children (and that she was generous with the free Jamba Juice coupons she was tasked with handing out). On lunch breaks with colleagues, she perfected her own brand of lighthearted gossip that is still widely practiced by those of us fortunate enough to be invited to her table. Later in her life, she remained both practical and whimsical. For example, she often argued that (and there’s no delicate way to say this) “at 50 years old, a woman’s breasts ought to turn into hands—you know, to hold her purse or apply lipstick. Generally, to make themselves useful.” In the last couple of years, she enjoyed living near her mom again, for the first time since she was a child, spending time with her sister Mary Lou, and seeing her kids and grandkids. She was devastated by the death of her husband, John, in 2015, but knew she would see him again. Their reunion must have been joyous. Connie is survived by her Mother, Idalu Davis Haynes; her four siblings, Susan (Lowell) Hafen, Tom (Susan) Haynes, Marylou (Jeff) Tiedeman, Terry (Ed) Brown; her five boys, Michael John, John Spencer, John Patrick, Christopher John, and John Casey; her daughters-in-law, Joanie Pead Livingston, Lindsay Adamson Livingston, and Steph Russell Livingston; and her 16 grandchildren: Jake, Cate, Calvin, Elle, Luke, Symon, Daisy, Milo, Matt, Mason, Livvi, Lola, Lennyn, Asher, Beck, and August. She was preceded in death by her loving father, Seth, and her best friend and eternal love, John. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, July 23 (Connie’s birthday) at 12:00 pm at the Park 7th ward LDS chapel 50 South 750 West, Orem, UT 84058. A viewing will be held prior to the services, from 10:00 to 11:30. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you send more flowers—she loved them! Friends and family are invited to share condolences online at: www.Serenityfhs.com Arrangements are under the direction of Serenity Funeral Home, Draper, (801)255-2801

Connie Lee Haynes Livingston

July 23, 1950 - July 19, 2019