In Loving Memory
1945•2026
John Lars Myrup, 80, passed away peacefully at his home in Lewiston, Utah on July 31, 2026.
John was born on September 5, 1945, in Salt Lake City to Jerome Lars and Elizabeth K. Brunisholz Myrup. John grew up in North Salt Lake and graduated from the University of Utah in 1969 with a degree in biology. Although he studied science, he chose to pursue art as his profession. A self-taught painter, he held his first public exhibition in Park City in 1971 and spent the following decades refining his craft and sharing his vision with others.
Known for his strikingly realistic oil paintings, John's work can be found in private homes and public collections across the United States and around the world. He was especially celebrated for his breathtaking portrayals of the rural American West and The National Parks. He would take his camera and hike to remote places in order to create many of his works. He would draw a detailed map on the back of his paintings to show you exactly where he had traveled. His paintings reflected not only the places he visited but also the deep respect and wonder he felt for them.
For the past forty-five years, John made his home in Lewiston, where he continued to paint. He chose the peaceful seclusion of his rural home, deliberately distancing himself from others by planting an unusually large number of trees to shield his property from neighbors and those passing by. Towards the end of his life, he developed close friendships with a few of his neighbors. We, especially, want to thank Matt and DeAnn for their friendship and watchful eye!
John was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Jaelene Val Myrup. He is survived by his brother, Edwin J. (Diane) Myrup of Murray; his nieces and nephews, Erik (Cheryl) Myrup of Lexington, Kentucky; Gregg (Mindi) Myrup of Toano, Virginia; Kristin (Jason) Covili of Salt Lake City; Emily (Steven) Morrison of Memphis, Tennessee; and Mathew Myrup of Salt Lake City; as well as 16 great-nieces and great-nephews who will cherish his memory.
A graveside service will be held on Friday, August 7, at 10:00 a.m. at the Farmington City Cemetery, Farmington, Utah.
John, I touched you last!
Those wishing to view the service via Zoom can click "Watch Service" or follow the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81210112703
I will miss seeing John in Lewiston when I came thru. I enjoyed seing all the stuff from his parents house, that I saw when I was a kid. He really maintained his house in a historical way, for the longest time, using wood to heat it. Maintaining the lot in a farming style, pulling plowing equipment behind a small truck. In all of the extended family we looked the most alike. His art shows up on the web in a few cases.
John was a consummate artist. As owners of Southam Gallery in downtown, Salt Lake City, we Linda & Kimberly Southam, delighted in selling his beautiful & magical artwork for over 43 years! John's artwork helped establish our gallery as a place of beauty & absolutely added to the great success of the gallery. His artwork landed in the hands of true admirers of his unique talent & went all over the United States. John's visits to the "big city," every four or five months, always left us in awe of his amazing abilities. In fact, the unveiling in the gallery of his new paintings was as thrilling as Christmas morning to us! When we put his artwork in the window it amazed & delighted many art lovers. There was always a person staring through the windows taken with his artwork.
Having dealt with hundreds of artists over the years, John stands out as not only a true " character," but a person with character! He would not accept a commission he did not believe in for any price. And, never delivered a painting unfinished or without a title. In fact, John took great pride in his paintings & even included the date for a protective coat of varnish on the back of each work even if it was in twenty years!
We will miss him, but will always be delighted in his work, knowing the great pride he took in creating it. Thank you John, for showing us the beauty in everyday scenes of life; birds gliding through the sky, hay bales freshly cut, dragon & butterflies skimming the surface of the water while the sun pierces through the trees or glistens on the snow. We will always see you & be glad we did.
My grandfather, Lemonte Peterson, was a collector of everything beautiful. A few years ago we found a huge collection of John Myrup paintings in his basement in Salt Lake. There were at least 30 of them and they are all beautiful. I brought about 15 of the Cache Valley ones up to my offices for more people to see. They capture Cache Valley perfectly and we love being able to locate where they were painted. Thank you to Mr. Myrup for sharing his talent with the rest of us. May you rest in peace.
I LOVE John Myrup's paintings. I have 5 of them. It's not easy to find any of his paintings for sale. I bought all of mine at Southam Gallery when they were available. He was quite a character.
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