LoAnn Walker Fieldsted

Known as the “miracle” by her doctors after miraculously surviving three severe bouts of cancer in her 40s and 50s, LoAnn Walker Fieldsted, age 64, of Vineyard, Utah, died peacefully in her sleep on March 31, 2024, after suffering a likely stroke.  Although she survived each battle of cancer and was always grateful the Lord prolonged her life, the years of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery took a toll on her resilient mind and body.  Her family takes comfort in their faith that her spirit is now free from such ailments and is reunited with her parents and grandparents, who she loved dearly. 

LoAnn was born on November 23, 1959, in Duchesne County, Utah, to Curtis Lloyd Walker Jr. and Peggy LaRue Ralphs, who instilled in her a love of family and the simple things of life.  As a child, she treasured the weekly and holiday gatherings with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins; she also loved reading, riding horses, viewing earth’s natural beauty (particularly mountains), and playing and attending church with her best friend, Lori Jo Winterton.  

LoAnn met the love of her life, Mack Fieldsted, when they were both attending grade school.  They dated through high school, and then married in 1979 in the Provo, Utah Temple promptly upon Mack’s return from serving a church mission to England.  She couldn’t resist Mack’s thoughtful and charming marriage proposal, pitched while on an evening drive together: “So, do ya wanna?”  She would fondly joke about the lackluster proposal the rest of her life.  Nevertheless, LoAnn adored her husband and his sense of humor.  She wanted to spend every possible moment with him, whether traveling to the great cities of Europe, attending live theater productions (especially musicals), or just watching old classic TV shows at home.  Just being with her husband was happiness.   

With her husband, LoAnn had three children, all boys, Tyler, Tyson, and Brandon.  She was a loving and devoted mother to her boys, and certainly succeeded in the home.  She worked hard to ensure the home was always clean and orderly, and conducive to spiritual and temporal growth.  She masterfully enlisted her boys in this endeavor by providing them an abundance of daily and household chores, which they begrudgingly performed under her dutiful supervision.  She vigorously supported her boys in all extracurricular activities, helping each of them achieve the rank of Eagle Scout and attending almost every sporting event, recital, performance, and scouting ceremony.  Despite her limited religious upbringing and lack of higher education (at the time), LoAnn worked tirelessly to nurture her boys both spiritually and academically.  Non-negotiable activities included daily family scripture study and prayer, weekly church attendance, weekly family home evenings, nightly family dinners, magnifying church callings, and homework.  She delighted in the fruits of these labors.  Indeed, among her greatest joys in life were witnessing her boys develop their own testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ, serve full-time church missions, obtain higher education degrees, marry in the temple, find happiness in their own marriages and children, and find success in their chosen occupations.  She was very proud of her boys and grandchildren.

LoAnn was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had an abiding testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ and the doctrine that families can be together forever.  She gladly served in numerous capacities within the church, including in her local Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women organizations.  Serving with the young women was especially a great source of joy for her, as she developed special bonds with many young women and leaders, some of whom became her life-long friends.     

LoAnn was truly blessed with amazing friends, most of whom she met through church.  She was involved in many social groups with those friends, including book clubs, scrapbook clubs, craft clubs, lunch bunches, and bunco groups.  She stayed in weekly contact with many friends for most of her adult life, and even travelled with them.  During her cancer treatments and other health challenges, her friends were there by her side, every day, providing strength and comfort, and supporting her family.   

LoAnn always valued education and the role of a teacher.  She graduated at the top of her class from Altamont High School, but then delayed her pursuit of higher education to focus on marriage and raising her young children.  As soon as her youngest child was in school full time, she went back to school and eventually obtained a bachelor’s degree in English from Brigham Young University (BYU) in April 1998.   She then worked part-time in various capacities, including as a copy editor and then in the admissions office of BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School.  She eventually pursued and obtained a master’s degree at BYU, and even successfully defended her master’s thesis from a hospital bed while recovering from a coma induced by complications from her first bout of cancer.  After recovering from illness and obtaining her master’s degree, LoAnn worked for many years as an instructor at BYU, teaching courses in technical writing and writing and rhetoric.  She loved her students and the subject matter but didn’t always enjoy the long hours of grading lengthy papers.  

As her mind and body became weaker, LoAnn left her teaching job, but she still loved being in the education setting.  During the last few years of her life, she frequently volunteered as a reader at Vineyard Elementary School near her home, and quickly became endeared to many of the children. 

LoAnn’s smile, laugh, gentleness, faith, longsuffering, and love and devotion to her family and friends, will live on in the hearts and minds of those who love her.  Her influence has been tremendous, and that influence will be felt and seen in the lives of generations to come.  

LoAnn is survived by her husband Mack Fieldsted; her son Tyler (Carolyn) Fieldsted and grandchildren Ambree, Gavin, and Jaren; her son Tyson (Emi) Fieldsted and grandchildren Nina, Susanne, Eli, Jimmy, and Joel; son Brandon (Lindsey) Fieldsted and grandchildren Golden, Vivian, Clark, and Scarlett; her sister Penny (Doug) Curry; her brother Korey Walker; and sister-in-law Merrie Walker.  LoAnn was preceded in death by her parents Curtis Lloyd Walker Jr. and Peggy LaRue Ralphs, and by her grandson Jayce Fieldsted.

An evening viewing for friends and family will be held on Thursday, April 4, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary, 495 South State Street, Orem, Utah 84058.  Funeral services will be Friday, April 5, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building located at 422 East 400 South, Vineyard, Utah 84059, with a viewing held that morning from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. prior to the services.  Interment will be in the Orem City Cemetery.