Viewing
Larkin Sunset Gardens
1950 E Dimple Dell Rd, Sandy, Utah, 84092Wednesday Feb 11, 2026: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Celebration of Life
Larkin Sunset Gardens
1950 E Dimple Dell Rd, Sandy, Utah, 84092Wednesday Feb 11, 2026: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
1952 ~ 2026
Larkin Sunset Gardens
1950 E Dimple Dell Rd, Sandy, Utah, 84092Wednesday Feb 11, 2026: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Larkin Sunset Gardens
1950 E Dimple Dell Rd, Sandy, Utah, 84092Wednesday Feb 11, 2026: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Beloved Wife and Mother
Kathleen “Kathy” Carpenter passed away peacefully on February 4, 2026, surrounded by her family.
Kathy was born on February 11, 1952, in San Mateo, California, to Grove and Pinkie Cook. She graduated from St. Mary’s of the Wasatch in 1970, where she met her best friend, Sherry Howa.
The two shared countless adventures and shenanigans that brought joy and laughter throughout their lives.
Kathy later attended Stevens-Henager Business College, where she studied fashion design.
She worked at Smith’s for 36 years, where she built lasting relationships with many loyal customers who came to know and love her.
She was an avid swimmer, and Kathy loved being a lifeguard in her twenties, and swam nearly every day in the summer throughout her adult life. She enjoyed gardening and took great pleasure in cooking just about everything under the sun. A devoted LA Raiders fan, Kathy once won a bet that earned her tickets to Super Bowl XVIII, where she proudly watched the Raiders win 38–9.
On January 2, 1987, Kathy married the love of her life, Richard Carpenter. Together, they raised two beautiful sons. Samuel and Matthew. Kathy cherished her time with her boys—Sam often joined her at Saturday mass, while Matt followed in her footsteps with their shared love of cooking.
Kathy is survived by her loving husband, Richard; her sons, Sam and Matt; her sister, Trish VanAusdale; her brother, Mike Cook; Cindy Scheller, Nieces, Carli, Camille, and AJ; her nephews, Shane, Christopher, Brian; and her dear friend, Sherry Howa. She was preceded in death by her brother, Paul Cook.
Funeral services will be held at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 E. Dimple Dell Road, Sandy, Utah. On February 11th, a viewing will be held from 1:00–2:00 PM, followed by funeral services at 2:00 PM. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in honor of Kathy.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to her friend, Kristi Black, for her continued support. and to the doctors and nurses at St. Mark’s ICU for their compassionate care.
I was heart broken when I learned of Kathy's passing I worked with her at smith's even when I went to a different store we stayed in contact and often went to breakfast or lunch she was the best cook always bringing me something she made or veggies out of her garden I will miss her my thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time
I was in smiths tonight and saw the memorial they had set up. I am really sad to hear of her passing. Such a sweet lady, always fun to have her check us out and talk with us. I am really sorry for your loss. She will be missed ❤️
Oh Kathy, I thought you would live forever. I am so sorry for your loved ones. You were the center of many worlds. So many will miss you.
I am deeply sorry to hear of the passing of Kathy. I started working with her at Smith 153 in 1995. I ended up being called Cat so we both knew which Cathy/Kathy they were paging. I continued to work with her until she loved to the Draper location. During my time working with her, she got to know me and other co-workers along with customers.
Later, when I started to shop at the Draper Smiths location, I would go to her line and she would talk to me with fondness and I would hear her chat away with other customers and coworkers.
I will miss her and our visits when I shop at Smiths.
I'm saddened to hear about the passing of my dear friend, Kathy. I was blessed to have you in my life. To her family, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
So sorry to hear about Kathy! May she rest in peace! Hope the family is doing fine!
I just stopped by Smith’s and learned about Kathy and my heart is just broken. Kathy was the coolest sweetest woman in there. She was so good to me and honestly my daughter from the time she was 2 yrs old thought Kathy was lher aunt or relative because of how special and how she just cared. We are going to miss her so much! Our hearts and prayers are with her family.❤️
Shopping at Smiths will never be the same! Kathy is a ray of sunshine, my happy place! She went above and beyond as an employee at Smiths, but mostly making you feel valued and loved! She was happy, full of life, loved to talk about her family, shared recipes and food ideas, always looked so nice, included my husband and kids into the conversation and oh how I will miss the “hi honey”She truly is the best! My heart is broken and I wished I had more times to chat. We will cherish her forever! And feel so blessed to have her in our lives! Wishing comfort and peace for her family, a family she loved so much and was so proud of! Thank you for sharing sweet Kathy with us! She will be so missed!❤️
Our deepest condolences for this loss of such a kind and special lady. Thankful for the memories over the years. Rest in peace. You will be missed.💜
I am so sorry for your loss may God bless Kathleen and her family, my deepest sympathy and prayers, I knew Kathleen as a very good friend of Sherry Howa, Kathleen was a classy beautiful woman and will be missed ❤️
I met Kathy at smiths She always brightens up your day when you see her It different walking into Smith's now because you know she's not there Kathy was a very special person she is very missed may the family be blessed
We knew Kathy and Rich through Scouts. Kathy was a Cub Scout den mother and could do anything. She could plan pack meetings and even cooked (literally) buckets of spaghetti for a Blue and Gold dinner. She and Rich were dedicated to offering opportunities for all our boys, as well as their own. A kind and talented lady. God bless her.
She always made you feel welcome and she remembered you. She would ask, what are you making and follow up with, have you tried...
It had been a minute since I had been in and was sorry to see the memorial in the store.
Very sorry for your loss.
KC, my lithe, little sister, was more than just a pretty face behind that infectious smile. She genuinely cared for others all her life, and she will be sorely missed
Dear Rich, Sam and Matt, We are so sorry to hear about Kathy's passing. She was always kind and generous. Please know of our prayers for all of you during this time of mourning. We pray that God will bring you comfort and peace. Sending our Love, Dick and Mary Ann Weathered
I've known Kathleen for almost 40 years. I grew up in the neighborhood behind Smiths on 1300 E in Sandy...and later in life i purchased home near the Smith's on 12300 S in Draper. It's odd to say...but she was one of the most reliable people in my life. Always there. Always the same. I remember when I was 11 years old, I came into Smith's crying because my bicycle had been stolen from the bike rack in front of Smiths. I reported the incident to her...and she was asked me "did you have a lock on it?" I replied meekly "no"...and she said "well that wasn't smart". When I heard she passed away today...i sunk in my chair and can't seem to catch my breath. You never think that people that you see only for minutes...once every two weeks...add up to a meaningful pillar in your life... But I guess I am realizing that Kathleen was the exception...at least for me. I will miss her matter-of-fact attitude. Her strength. Rest in Peace Kathleen.
It’s hard to imagine Smiths without her gorgeous long hair, and a smiling face. For so many years she was a bright, familiar presence, and I’ll always be grateful for our chats while she watched my children grow from babies into adults.
She had a wonderful sense of humor and seemed to have the best advice on almost anything — especially when it came to cooking with a Dutch oven. I’m pretty sure she could solve half of life’s problems with the right slow-cooker recipe.
I’ll always remember her talking about her husband and her two sons, sharing stories about friends and fancy restaurants. And of course, proudly wearing those fundraiser signs for Primary Children’s Hospital — because that was just who she was: caring, spirited, and involved.
She was funny, beautiful, smart, and truly one of a kind. I will miss her calling me out if I chose another check-out line...I’ll always smile when I think of her.