Laura Richmond

Laura Burnside Richmond, 66, of West Jordan, Utah passed away on March 15, 2026 due to the lingering effects of a heart attack in December 2024 and multiple strokes in January 2025.

Born on May 26, 1959 and raised in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, Laura was the second child of Roger Leonard Burnside and Shirley Reynolds. Because Laura was raised by two farm kids who moved to the city, she was taught to have a strong work ethic and love God. Shirley taught Laura how to sew, cook, garden, make crafts, and help with the younger children. Like her father, Roger, Laura developed a love for horses and did barrel racing and other horseback riding events into her teenage years. As a child, Laura especially loved spending summertime playing at her paternal Grandparents’ farmhouse in Fairview, Utah. She adored her Grandma, Anna Birdella Peterson Burnside, and the two of them had a special bond. Laura’s humble, good-natured demeanor and the mischief in her smile drew people to her. She always teased the people she liked the best.

A beautiful person, inside and out, Laura became very interested in hair, makeup, and fashion, and in her senior year of high school, Laura bravely raised money and participated as a contestant in the Miss Sandy pageant. After graduating from Brighton High School in 1977, Laura trained at Salt Lake Community College to become a hairdresser and had many loyal clients as she worked for over 40 years. Even though she was always bustling around the salon, Laura was good at making people feel special and listening to them while they were in her chair. She often did haircuts for relatives and neighbors at very little cost, sometimes in her own kitchen. Doing hair was one of the many ways that Laura showed love and service to others while using her creative skills.

In 1977, in one of the funniest meet-cutes ever, Laura met Dan Richmond while they were “dragging state” in their cars with friends. Laura only agreed to go out with Dan if he took her to an LDS church for their first date–she would not even give Dan her phone number! She only told him her name. She thought that would get rid of him, but Dan was up for the challenge, and he called all 3 phone numbers under “Burnside” in the phone book, asking for Laura until he got ahold of her. They married on November 17, 1979. They were sealed as a family in the Salt Lake LDS Temple and raised 5 children.

Laura was an excellent homemaker. She took care of her family while making meals from scratch, gardening, sewing, taking her kids to lessons and practices, and working part-time at Hair, Etc. She taught her three younger kids piano, and taught her son Jake to play the accordion. Known for her tireless efforts to make every occasion special and memorable, Laura was a thoughtful mom and grandma. She never missed a chance to throw a birthday party for her kids and, later, their spouses, making their favorite dinners and desserts. Like her mother Shirley, Laura usually had an activity, craft, or game planned for her grandkids at every family gathering.

Laura was a humble disciple of Jesus Christ, expressing her faith through her deeds. She read her scriptures every morning. She wrote little notes to her kids expressing her testimony and love for them. She was selfless, constantly thinking of what she could do for people, ways she could serve others. Laura consistently attended church meetings and had many church responsibilities over the years. She particularly liked working with the young women and the toddlers, and also played the piano and organ for church meetings. Numerous church members said that Laura was their favorite young women’s leader, or that she spoiled their kids in nursery.

Ever determined and driven, Laura continually learned new things. She started running in her 30’s and ended up doing a marathon at age 47. She did modelling and dancing in her early 40’s. She went on trips with her siblings and her own family and friends, and usually planned one trip per year with her kids and their families.

When Laura became ill, she used that same determination to overcome a heart attack and three strokes. During that time, she could have left her family for the next life, but instead she stayed and fought to recover. She went from only being able to move her eyes, to learning to swallow and walk and talk again. She blessed her kids with an extra fifteen months of time with her because of her fighting spirit.

Laura is survived by her children, Dominique Watts (Brandon), Whitney Knight (Joseph), Jacob Richmond (Mikilah), Dylan Richmond, and son-in-law Dustin Riggs, and her grandchildren Luke, Rhett, Amari, Rowan, Daniel, Emmett, and Ella, and her siblings David (Pamela), Bradley (Leslie), Jennifer (Richard), Marilee (Bruce), and Stephanie (Jon). She was preceded in death by her Husband, Daniel Raymond Richmond, her Daughter, Teresa Richmond Riggs, her infant older brother, Karl Burnside, and her parents.

A visitation and viewing will be held Thursday evening, March 26th, from 6-8 p.m. at Larkin Mortuaries - Riverton 3688 W. 12600 S. Riverton, UT 84065. The funeral service will be held at a meetinghouse for the Church of Jesus Christ on Friday, March 27 at 11:00 a.m. A short viewing will be held from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m., followed by a family prayer before the funeral service at the Sparrowtail Ward: 5360 West 7000 South, West Jordan, Utah 84081.

Interment will follow at the Salt Lake City Cemetery at 200 North N Street, at the far northeast corner.

Flowers for the funeral service or donations can be sent to:

Larkin Mortuaries - Riverton 3688 W. 12600 S. Riverton, UT 84065 (801)254-4850

Funeral services will also be streaming online for those that can’t attend in-person.