Paul Ashton Hanks

Paul Ashton Hanks, age 83, loyal husband, beloved father, fun-loving and caring grandfather and great-grandfather, talented organist, gifted choir conductor, inspiring educator, and faithful and devoted servant and disciple of Jesus Christ, passed away peacefully on 17 January 2022 among family. He was born 4 April 1938 to Lincoln Frame Hanks and Emma Fidkin Ashton Hanks in Salt Lake City, Utah. He grew up on Capitol Hill and had many wonderful experiences and developed meaningful lifelong relationships with family and friends, especially “the Boys”.

Paul’s early life faced great adversity with a severe accident at only 5 years of age. Because of his will to live, his loving and caring parents and siblings, as well as priesthood blessings he received to be healed, he overcame this major obstacle in a miraculous way, and grew up to live a full and rich life.

Paul developed a great love of music early on in life. He found great joy in creating music and helping others through providing opportunities for the Spirit to be felt through music and song. This was demonstrated through his singing in choirs, playing the piano and teaching piano lessons, playing the organ (beginning at age 12), and teaching and conducting various choirs, including being a guest conductor for the Tabernacle Choir in 1975.

Paul’s desire and determination to succeed resulted in graduating from West High School, serving a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Hawaiian Mission, graduating from the University of Utah, with a Bachelor’s degree in Math Education and then a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting. It was during this time that Paul met the love of his life, his eternal sweetheart and companion, Jean Palmer. They were married and sealed in the Salt Lake Temple for time and all eternity 14 December 1964. Together they worked hand-in-hand to raise their 6 children unto the Lord. Paul’s family came first, and they knew he could be relied on at any given hour for advice, love and unconditional support. His children felt that they were each his “favorite”.

In 1966, Paul was accepted to the University of Southern California, where he pursued and received a Doctorate in Higher Education, while he worked for the Church Education System (CES). His life’s work consisted of various responsibilities and positions in CES. He was a seminary teacher, institute teacher, choir conductor, area director and an administrator when working at Church Headquarters. His positive influence was felt by countless students and fellow associates.

Paul enjoyed helping others feel needed, wanted and loved. He served in the community in various capacities. He was actively involved in the Capitol Hill Kiwanis Club and other service organizations. He loved camping with his family every summer at various national parks, spending time at the Hanks Family Cabin, playing games together with family and friends, doing family history, giving tours at the temple quarry in Little Cottonwood Canyon and genuinely just loving and serving others. He and Jean made a great team!

Paul’s devotion to the Lord was eminent in all that he did. His wife Jean supported him so well in his many callings and responsibilities. He served as a Sunday school teacher, High Priest group teacher, Bishop, counselor in the stake presidency, stake president, mission president of the Texas Dallas Mission, New Zealand MTC President, ordinance worker and temple sealer at the Salt Lake Temple and for a brief time an ordinance worker at the Bountiful Temple. He and his beloved wife, Jean were privileged to serve their own mission together in the Washington D.C. Temple. They were also privileged to serve at the Joseph Smith Academy in Nauvoo teaching religion classes and conducting the choir there for two semesters. He loved each of those responsibilities and did his best to magnify them and serve as the Lord would have him serve.

After Jean passed away in December 2017, Paul lived at Creekside Senior Living in Bountiful. Although it was quite an adjustment for him, his dear sister Dianne came to live there soon after he moved in and helped him learn to enjoy that wonderful community. Paul grew to love so many kind and wonderful people there, and they, likewise, grew to love him. He was most recently able to help his sweet sister Jeannette adjust to moving there just one month ago.

Those who knew Paul knew him as a kind, merciful, forgiving, jovial, hard-working, committed, faithful, honest, ever-enduring, thoughtful, and true friend. When Paul was born, his parents gave him the name Paul, after the apostle Paul. He strived to live up to that name as well as his family name. In his life he grew to epitomize the scriptures found in Moroni 7:45 and 1 Cor. 13:4-7 which reads: “And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Paul truly developed these qualities of the Savior and genuinely showed charity towards all his fellow men. To know Paul was to be loved by Paul.

He is survived by five of his six children and their spouses, Susan Boyle Hanks, Sean Palmer (Mayra) Hanks, Jonathan Ashton (Mary) Hanks, Heidi Jean (H.G.) Kunzler, Susann (Tyler) Kreitzer, Amelia Mae (Karl) Heap, 24 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, his sisters Jeannette (Joe) Smith and Marlene (Ralph) McQuiston. He was preceded in death by his oldest son, Paul Alonzo (Susan)
Hanks, his brother Dale (Mary Ellen) Hanks, his sister Dianne (Blaine) Whipple, and his parents Lincoln and Emma Hanks.

The Viewing and Celebration of Life services will be as follows:

Friday, January 21, 2022
Friday Evening Viewing
Capitol Hill Ward
413 North West Capitol
Salt Lake City, Utah 84103
6:00 – 8:00pm

Saturday, January 22, 2022
Saturday Morning Viewing and Celebration of Life
Val Verda 4th Ward
2633 South 50 West
Bountiful, Utah 84010
Viewing – 9:00 - 10:30am
Celebration of Life – 11:00am
Interment will be at the Salt Lake City Cemetery following the Celebration of Life proceedings.

For those of you who cannot attend the service in person, you are welcome to view the service on Zoom. Meeting ID: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89807964099 You will need to have signed up for a free account with zoom in order to watch the service.

In lieu of flowers you are invited to make a donation to the Church Humanitarian Aid Fund or the
Church Missionary Fund.
https://philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org/humanitarian-services/funds/humanitarian-general-fund.html