Funeral
1870 Parleys Canyon Blvd Salt Lake City Utah 84106Saturday Aug 9, 2025: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
1940 ~ 2025
Saturday Aug 9, 2025: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Bonnie Rae Dansie Parkin
August 4, 1940 – July 28, 2025
Bonnie Rae Dansie Parkin passed away on Monday, July 28, 2025, at the age of 84 surrounded by her family. A devoted disciple of Jesus Christ, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, educator, and leader, she lived a life of service, faith, leadership and love.
Born on August 4, 1940, in Murray, Utah, Bonnie was the third of five children of Jesse Homer and Ruth Martha Butikofer Dansie. Raised on a family farm in Herriman, Utah, she learned to work hard from an early age—milking cows, bottling fruit, and helping in Dansie’s Place, the family store. Her humble, loving, hard-working mother taught her how to cook and how to serve, instilling in her a strong work ethic and a deep sense of loyalty and gratitude.
Always passionate about education, Bonnie graduated from Jordan High School, home of the Beetdiggers, and attended Utah State University, where she was president of Kappa Delta Sorority and vice president of her senior class. Bonnie was proud to be an Aggie and earned a degree in elementary education and early childhood development. She taught school for three years at Hannah Holbrook Elementary in Bountiful, Utah before becoming a mother. She was a lifelong learner and an avid reader with a great love of literature. Her book club with cherished friends met monthly for over 50 years. Later in life she received an honorary doctorate from USU. A scholarship in her name continues to support aspiring students.
In 1963, she married her sweetheart, James L. Parkin, in the Salt Lake Temple. Their marriage was a joyful love affair—a partnership of purpose, service and devotion to the Savior. Together they raised four sons; Jeff (Jana Winters), Brett (Angela Christensen), Matt (Ann Howell) and David (Jennifer Huntsman). Following prophetic counsel, they brought Ernest Zahoney into their home for several years to provide him with education, opportunities and love. He sweetly called her “mom” from his first night with the family. She did the same for extended family in need of nurturing.
As a young mother in Seattle, she was mentored by women in the ward who taught her to love and study the scriptures daily. From that foundation, her devotion to and understanding of the gospel deepened, and so did her empathy—shaped by personal loss, including three miscarriages. She developed lifelong friendships in every place she lived and left people feeling seen, heard, and valued. Many—young and old—considered her a second mother. She could outrun, out-work, and out-love anybody.
She adored, mentored and bragged about her four daughters-in-law, and rejoiced in the lives of her 18 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, building individual bonds with each of them. She was the heart of a bustling, service-oriented home—feeding missionaries, hosting international students, welcoming young single adults, and showing love in thousands of unseen ways.
Bonnie was a fierce competitor—whether playing tennis, skiing, or backpacking—and an even fiercer supporter of her boys. She showed up to nearly every game and performance, cheering loud enough to be heard by her sons above the crowd. And while her sons thought they had a paper route, it turns out, she had the paper route.
A tireless servant of the Lord, she magnified all her callings, including ward Relief Society president, stake Young Women president, Primary president, Sunday School teacher, member of the General Relief Society Board and Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency. From 1997 to 2000, she and Jim served as mission leaders in the England London South Mission, where she mentored and loved her missionaries deeply and they loved her. She continued to stay in touch with them until she died.
She was sustained as the 14th Relief Society General President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2002. Heading the largest women’s organization in the world, she ministered to millions of women across the globe with her unique brand of warmth and charity and an abiding testimony of God's love. They shared stories, laughed and cried together and embraced their sisterhood.
Early in her presidency, she prayed to know what women needed most and felt a powerful answer: “We, His daughters, need to know that He loves us.” That message became the guiding light of her ministry. In her first conference address she said, “If I could have one thing happen for every woman in this Church, it would be that they would feel the love of the Lord in their lives daily.” Later she taught, “Feeling His love encourages us to press forward, reassures us that we are His and confirms to us that He cherishes us—even when we stumble.”
Putting those words into action, she helped lead global humanitarian efforts, including the Church’s wheelchair project and measles vaccination initiatives in Africa.
She was a straight shooter—known for her candor, humor, and generous spirit. After being released as Relief Society General President in 2007, she gladly accepted a calling to serve in the ward nursery for toddlers and later as a Young Women advisor. She loved those callings and magnified them with her characteristic energy, passion and love.
Her commitment to service extended far beyond her church callings. She volunteered with the Utah Symphony and the Great Books Foundation, served as a PTA president and a page in the Utah Senate. She served brides in the temple on their special day. She carefully listened and offered wise counsel and warm meals around her kitchen table. She lived her life centered on her testimony of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. She believed deeply in charity, living Relief Society’s motto, “Charity never faileth” with empathy, humor, and tireless devotion.
In her final years, she gave her all to caring for her sweetheart in his battle with multiple sclerosis, helping him with tasks big and small, including buttoning the top button of his shirt when his surgeon’s fingers could no longer manage it. Although their retirement wasn’t what they once envisioned, it was filled with deeper love, mutual service, and sacred companionship.
At her core, Bonnie Parkin was a woman of deep testimony. She believed in strengthening families, serving one by one, and lifting others with both faith and action. Her life was a sermon of gratitude and discipleship. She declared, “Jesus is the Christ. He is my Savior, my Redeemer, and I’m ever grateful for His redeeming love.”
Bonnie was preceded in death by her beloved Jim, who passed away in 2023. She is survived by her four sons, their wives, her 18 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and countless extended family and friends who were blessed by her example and love.
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A viewing will be held on Friday, August 8, from 6:00–8:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 9, from 9:30–10:30 a.m. at the Salt Lake Parleys Stake Center (1870 Parleys Canyon Blvd., Salt Lake City, Utah). The funeral will follow at 11:00 a.m.
Services will be live-streamed and available for delayed viewing. Please click on the "Watch Services" link above.
Bonnie invited us to “not only love each other more but love each other better.” In lieu of flowers, consider donating to Utah State University, Bonnie Dansie Parkin Endowment for Education, 1590 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-1590, 435-797-1320
There are a few special people who come into your life that make a difference. Sister Parkin did that and more. I was about to go home after one month on my mission. They picked up me up took me to their home and she put me to work cooking while learning everything there was to know. Later to find out she had not understand a word through my thick northern accent. Her and President Parkin took me to a Halloween party at one of the chapels. I stayed on my mission. You always felt like it was just me but she was doing that for everyone.
I still use her insight all these years later, are we building ? Yes she was.
Sending love to her family and to the many people she touched. Especially at this time to my ELSM brother and sisters.
Oh, how we love the Parkin Family! Bonnie (and Jim) have made an indelible impact in our lives. Bonnie was right there for her friends, Lynne and John, when they needed her most. She has helped to shape the character of her boys and their childhood friends. We are the direct recipients of her love, compassion, service, and testimony of Jesus Christ. Sending our love and prayers to her family who were the heart of her life.
Much love, Dave and Melisa Nelson
Bonnie has greatly blessed the lives of our entire family with her love, caring, and optimism. Her and my good wife Louise became the very best friends when the Parkins lived in Seattle. That friendship has continued and even became stronger. A few years ago Louise had a bad fall, resulting in a severe brain injury but Bonnie has continued her uplifting calls on a regular basis. We are so very grateful to Bonnie, her great husband Jim, and the entire Parkin family for the Eternal blessing that they are to our family. We thank our loving Father in Heaven for that blessing.
Bonnie is one of the very best people we have ever known. She had such a welcoming heart. Even when in a large crowd, if you were talking with her she made you feel that she was focusing on you and that you were important to her. She was loving, fun, thoughtful and unpretentious. She and Jim filled their lives with service, both formal and informal. When she commenced her call as General President of the Relief Society, our ward relief society president suggested that she be released as a visiting teacher because of how busy she was. She declined and said she would like to continue with a young woman transitioning to relief society as a companion - and she chose our daughter. Our lives have been so blessed having Bonnie and Jim as friends and neighbors.
My deepest condolences to the Parkin family. I knew Sister Parkin in the ELSM, and it was a privilege to serve with her and be taught by her for those 2 years. I was lucky enough to be a greenie serving in their home ward, the Kingston Ward, when they first arrived in England and she was a beacon of love to the missionaries and the ward from Day 1. I’m thankful for the lessons she taught me, and her great sense of humor. Bonnie was a masterful teacher, making each one of us feel special and able to perform miracles. It is not a surprise that we looked forward to her talks in zone meetings just as much as those from Pres Parkin. I’ll never forget going on actual missionary exchanges in Clapham with Pres and Sister Parkin, and the joy on their faces of meeting new people and testifying of Jesus Christ. She always made me feel loved and valued, a gift she gave to everyone she met.
How I loved Bonnie! Her smile, her kindness, her zest for the Gospel, her love and ability to lift others, to give of her time, share her talents, and love with true charity to whomever she would come in contact with. Her testimony and love of the Savior was powerful and heartfelt. She truly is an elect lady. How we will miss you. God bless you, until we meet again.
We remember Jim and Bonnie with great fondness for the brief years we were together in Seattle. We are grateful for the contact we maintained in the years since. We are grateful for the wonderful examples provided by Jim and Bonnie. Of you four boys only Jeff may remember us. Our best wishes to you all as you go on, with your lives filled with the wonderful memories of your mother and all she taught you, and the love she gave you.
My husband Michael spurlin was one of President and sister Parkin's missionaries in London. He said at the beginning of his mission when sister Park in said she loved every missionary he didn't believe her. There were too many of them. It didn't take long for him to realize she truly knew and loved every single missionary! At one point in his mission she tried to commit him to make his bed every morning. He told her he would not commit to it because he knew he wouldn't do it. Guess what sister Parkin? He makes the bed for me once in awhile! We will always love her dearly.
I was a missionary for just a short time with the President and Sister Parkin. I will never forget the conversation I had with them as a missionary, and the love I felt from them. Truly remarkable people in every way. They will be greatly missed, but forever loved!
Oh, how we will miss sweet, spectacular, beautiful Bonnie. What a remarkable and inspiring life she led, leaving everything she influenced better than she found it. We are blessed to have known such an incredible woman! She taught us every time she spoke, but even more indelibly, she showed us every day, how to live a consecrated life of service, lifting, and love. ❤️
I am one of those people that was blessed to be the child of a friend of Sister Parkin. More than once- she provided loving service/support to me. She was a great example to me and I’m glad to have known her!
Jim and Bonnie called, and the four of us went downtown with signs to protest a business that was promoting unprofessional shows. You boys were very small, as was my family. Early in the morning, Bonnie would pass me, as we jogged along the fairway of The Salt Lake Country Club. It was easy for me, I only had to walk across the street. She was present when our 10th child passed in 1979. I enjoyed the memorial service today, 11 August 2025. Each of you was fantastic. Love you. I hope our paths may cross soon. P.S. I spoke to my children and they expressed a desire to be remembered.