Jayne Winters Fife

On the morning of her 90th birthday, Jayne Winters Fife passed away peacefully into the arms of her beloved husband, Paul Chase Fife. She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 2, 1933, the third of six children to Elwood Grant and Elizabeth Bennett Winters.

To Jayne, education was very important. She graduated from high school at age 16 and from college at 20 with a BA in Clothing & Textiles. She then taught classes in textiles, weaving, and clothing construction at the College of Southern Utah (precursor to SUU) for 2 years. She went on to get a MA, also in Clothing & Textiles, at Cornell University and was an instructor in Textiles History of Costume at the Tobe-Coburn School in New York City.

It was while she was in New York City that she met her beloved Paul who was receiving his PhD in Applied Mathematics from the Courant Institute at New York University. The two shared a love of the arts and together attended operas, symphonies and museums immersing themselves in the culture of New York City.

It was Stanford University that offered Paul his first job as a college professor and, after marrying in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on December 22, 1959, they made their home in Palo Alto, California. They later moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, for 4 years, Tucson, Arizona, for 20 years, then, finally, they came to Salt Lake City.

Paul’s academic pursuits took the family to many far-off places such as Peru, England, China, Japan and all over Europe. While living in those places, Jayne was able to explore the jungles of Peru and the high mountain ruins of Machu Picchu, poke through little shops and cottages in the countryside of England, climb the Great Wall of China, travel in a jeep across Tibet to Katmandu, and undertake many other adventures all the while filling herself with a love for the diverse people in this world.

When her children were grown, Jayne was able to return to her love of clothing & textiles. In Tucson, she volunteered and worked at the Arizona State Museum and the University of Arizona Museum of Art. It was there that she found a great love for Native American textiles and artifacts and assisted in their conservation. The Native American Southwest was so important to Paul and Jayne that they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Santa Fe, New Mexico with family exploring ruins and engaging in exhilarating cultural adventures.

When she and Paul moved to Salt Lake City (living in the very Avenues that she grew up in), she worked behind the scenes at the Utah Museum of Natural History. Her grandkids knew only that she worked at a fun museum and loved to visit her and throw coins down the throat of the dinosaur and hear it roar.

Jayne was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and fulfilled many callings, including serving in the Young Women organization, which she loved. Her callings in the Relief Society were her favorites, as she was able to administer to those in need.

Mom loved and had a special concern towards those who were struggling and we would often see her buy meals for the homeless. She had a quick wit and a warm sense of humor. She never passed up a moment to make others feel seen, whether in animated conversation with strangers in a restaurant, on a plane, in a store, or while travelling the world with family and friends.

It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our beloved mother and “Nana,” but we know she is at peace and finally able to rest. We can only imagine the joy she feels to be reunited with those who passed before.

Jayne is survived by her children, John Andrew Fife, Mary Kathryn “Kit” Barker (Brad), Richard Muir Fife (Isabel) and four grandchildren, Jessica Jayne Barker, Rachel Elen Barker, Garrett Paul Barker and Sara Marina Sanchez Fife. She is also survived by her sister, Mary Ann Stringfellow. She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Chase Fife, daughter, Elen Elizabeth Fife, who died as a child, and five of her six siblings.

Funeral services will be held at the Ensign LDS Stake Center, 135 ‘A’ Street in Salt Lake City on Saturday, May 13, at 11 a.m. Per her wishes, a closed casket visitation will be held prior to the services from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Natural History Museum of Utah or other similar museums of your choice are suggested. Interment will be in the Salt Lake City Cemetery, 4th Ave. & N Street.

The funeral service will be livestreamed via Zoom and may be joined by clicking the "Watch Services" button above or at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81759421988. You must have a Zoom account and be logged in to join the livestream.