Wayne Ward Painter

Wayne Ward Painter, 78, of Perry, Utah, passed away peacefully on July 21, 2026, surrounded by his family, after a battle with cancer. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and man of deep faith.

Wayne was born on a cold January 19, 1948, in Montpelier, Idaho, to Thomas (Bus) and Margaret Ward Painter. He spent his early years in Bloomington, Idaho, exploring the lakes and canyons of southern Idaho and developing a love of the outdoors — especially fishing and camping — that stayed with him all his life.

He graduated from Fielding High School in 1966, where he served as student body president during his senior year. After high school, he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Southern California. Wayne loved his country and was always patriotic; he served in the National Guard and later transitioned to the Army Reserve.

Upon returning from his mission, Wayne attended Utah State University in Logan, where he met Peggy Ryan of Heber City, Utah. Still enrolled in college, they were married and sealed in the Logan Temple on September 17, 1970. Together they raised six sons — Aaron, Nathan, Casey, Wyatt, Dale, and Russ — and shared many years of family life before Peggy's passing in 2001.

Wayne pursued various business ventures throughout his life, working in Idaho and Utah to provide for his family, and he developed lasting friendships everywhere he went. He was highly respected in his relationships because of his reliability and work ethic. A skilled craftsman and gardener, he took pride in building, repairing, and growing things with his own hands, and he passed his love of fishing on to his sons, teaching them patience and the value of time spent together outdoors.

In his spare time, Wayne enjoyed his garden and his golf game. He grew the best tomatoes, was proud of a perfect shot, and delighted in a well-kept yard. His love of carpentry never left him; later in life, he put his handyman skills to work helping friends and neighbors repair and improve their homes.

Wayne loved his family — his wife, his sons, his siblings, his parents, and all of his extended family. He was good at staying in touch and was genuinely interested in and concerned for each of them, making a point of attending as many blessings, baptisms, and funerals as he could. He spent many, many hours researching family history and was never happier than when he was telling about names he had found to take to the temple. He served as an officiator at the Brigham City Temple.

After his beloved Peggy passed away, Wayne sought companionship among friends who could understand his situation. He found Carolyn Selman Reigle, a schoolteacher and widow with five children. They became fast friends before he courted her and proposed, and they were married in the Jordan River Temple on March 23, 2002. Each felt very blessed to find companionship after the passing of a spouse, and they enjoyed more than 24 happy years together, building beautiful homes and gardens while serving the Lord in various capacities. The home they shared became a beacon for extended-family gatherings and fellowship in the Church.

Wayne was devoted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held a strong testimony of its concepts and principles, serving faithfully throughout his life in many organizations and callings. In February 2025, Wayne and Carolyn accepted a call to serve as Military Relations Missionaries in Charleston, South Carolina. It proved a challenging assignment, as Wayne was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the beginning of the mission. The disease was contained for the first year and three months before it mutated into a more aggressive form, which eventually took his life on July 21, 2026, surrounded by family, in his home, and still a missionary.

Wayne is survived by his wife, Carolyn; his sister, Drue Anne, and her husband, Craig; and his six sons and their wives, along with 13 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren: Aaron (Christine) and their children Joseph (Katy), Joshua (Brinley), Jonas (Cameron), Jordan, and Jeremiah, plus one grandchild; Nathan (Crystal) and their children Ian, Chloe, and Seth; Casey (Tina) and their children Braeden and Bentley, plus two grandchildren; Wyatt (Vanessa); Dale (Chelsey); and Russ (Brooke) and their children Greyson, Briggs, and Lennox. Wayne's sons and their families all live along the Wasatch Front in Utah.

Carolyn's children also esteemed Wayne as a loving part of their family and an excellent grandfather to their children. Through their relationship, Wayne added his influence to an additional 33 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. He will be missed by Carolyn's surviving children: Tamera (Bill) Anderson; Wendy Baker (Lance Madsen); Elisa (Matthew) Janson; and David (Jillian) Erickson.

Wayne's viewing and interment will be held in Bloomington, Idaho, his hometown, on Saturday, August 1, 2026. A viewing will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Bloomington Hall, followed by a graveside service at 1:00 p.m. at the Bloomington City Cemetery. A light luncheon will be served afterward at the Bloomington Hall, courtesy of the Perry, Utah, Second Ward Relief Society. Additional information is available on the Larkin Mortuary website, where friends and family are welcome to leave condolences for the family.

Those wishing to view the service via Zoom can click "Watch Service" or follow the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/0QHIpadQP3cKfWQg-fC_CyEOoSo-2Vlj8VoZEQqJJIrTO6iegxQqez1t_zhxgOnM.8FysACNKa7eLNXqd?startTime=1785610733000