Shirley Fay Allen Carmack

Shirley Fay Allen Carmack passed away peacefully in the comfort of her own home on August 4, 2026 at age 91. Shirley was born on October 30, 1934 in Wendell, Idaho to Cyril Stanford Allen and Mary Hildred Haight Allen and grew up in a loving home in Silver Spring, Maryland. She attended Brigham Young University and completed a degree in Food and Nutrition. Furthering her education, she began a Master’s degree in Dietetics at UCLA and worked as a dietetic intern at the VA hospital. While at UCLA, Shirley met John Kay Carmack at a Young Single Adult Party and immediately charmed him with her warm and friendly personality. A year after they met, John and Shirley married in the Los Angeles California Temple in 1958. Shirley devoted the next phase of her life to raising a family. John and Shirley had six children, five of whom survive her.

Shirley's life was distinguished by years of service to her family and to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She served in many capacities including as Stake Relief Society President in Los Angeles and Stake Young Women’s President in Salt Lake City. She and her husband John served as mission leaders of the Idaho Boise Mission. She was a great support while John served as a stake president, regional representative, and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. Upon his release at age 70, John was assigned by President Gordon B. Hinckley to originate and administer the Perpetual Education Fund for the first 11 years of its existence. John and Shirley worked together as a team for decades to fulfill these various callings including living in Hong Kong for four years and Germany for a time. They traveled the world together serving. In addition to being a never-tiring support to John, Shirley used her formidable skills of organization and leadership and her great capacity for charity to bless the lives of those they served. Her later years were spent devoted to Family History culminating in a book about her Haight ancestors.

Shirley was preceded in death by her son Stephen Allen Carmack and is survived by her husband John and children Lisa Palmer (Brian), Paula Kinnison (Mark), Stanford Carmack (Heidi), Barbara Morrell (Glen), and Julia Jacobsen (Erik). She is deeply missed by her husband, her children, and her 21 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. Members of her large extended family were often blessed by her generous hosting abilities, charitable spirit, heartwarming laughter, and sweet smile.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, August 15, at 11:00 AM at the Federal Heights Chapel at 1300 E. Fairfax Road, Salt Lake City, Utah, followed by interment at the Salt Lake City Cemetery. A viewing will precede the funeral at 10:00 AM. An additional viewing will be held at the same address the evening before the funeral, on Friday, August 14, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

Those wishing to view the service via Zoom can click "Watch Service" or follow the link:https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/iNaP7haBS8ScvlqT-Sp4yoZZTZSevXpwlDM64w_LwomOUrjhUwX3N165X4_8pW_j.NEbJ5a14KlZKhuli?startTime=1786811639000