Val J Kesler

Val J Kesler was born on January 1, 1936 to Clark and Louiena Kesler in Blackfoot, Idaho.
He lived significant portions of his 90 years in Blackfoot, Idaho, Sacramento, California, Herriman, Utah and Riverton, Utah. He passed on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 in his home with his sweet wife, Joyce by his side.

Val was a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He held a a strong testimony of Jesus Christ as his Savior and spent all his life in service of Him. Within the Church he served in several capacities, including Bishop, High Counselor, High Priest Group Leader, Missionary and Young Men’s President. He especially enjoyed working with the youth, both as a Scout leader and Spiritual leader. He organized and led multiple long-distance backpacking and bicycling adventures. He also had a great passion of genealogy and spent years teaching others to enjoy the same.

Val served 4 missions for the Church. As a young man he served in the Central America Mission for 2 1/2 years in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. He witnessed great growth in the region and served for a time as the District President of San Salvador, and again for Honduras. With his wife, Donna they served as genealogy instructors in Salt Lake City. A few years later they served at the Utah State Prison teaching gospel topics, genealogy and job skills. After Donna passed Val met and married Joyce, and together they served in the mission office in Hong Kong performing various duties. They loved working with both the Young and Senior Missionaries.

Val also served for a time as an active member of the US Army, as well as a Reservist in the Air Force and Navy. He loved his country and was proud of those opportunites.

He graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Accounting and spent the majority of his career working as a Civil Servant for the US Federal Government. He also worked for a time in the private sector.

Val married Donna Collard June 3, 1960 in the Idaho Falls, Idaho Temple and enjoyed 48 years of loving companionship. They adopted two sons, Brett and Greg and raised them primarily in Sacramento. Val taught his sons his passions of the outdoors, travel and of skiing and photography, to name a few. He was kind and loving toward his family, friends and co-workers, and was well respected.

Val married Joyce Kilgore December 29, 2009 in Clinton, Utah and enjoyed 17 years of loving companionship together in the South Salt Lake Valley. Together they watched Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren grow and dream. Joyce administered to Val in his final years with great love, compassion and patience. He was blessed to have two wonderful and fulfilling marriages.

Val was survived by his wife, Joyce, his sons, Brett (Emily) and Greg (Daw-Suwan), 5 Grandchildren, Michael, Chloe, Lauryn, Caleb and Jacob, as well 5 Great Grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Donna and siblings, LoRene, Fred.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, October 13 at 11 am in the Larkin Mortuary Chapel, 260 East South Temple, Salt Lake City. Friends may visit with the family from 9:30-10:30 am prior to the funeral. Interment: Salt Lake City Cemetery, where military honors will be accorded by the VFW.