December 4, 1938 – July 27, 2023
Her children rise up and call her blessed: her husband also and he praiseth her – Proverbs 31:10-31
Deanne Nelson Holyoak peacefully passed away at home on July 27, 2023.
Deanne was born on Dec. 4, 1938, to Elda Kennington Hardy and Lawrence Hardy In Newton, Utah. Her parents divorced and her mother married Merlin Eugene Nelson when Deanne was 2. She had no siblings.
Deanne was raised in Newton where she was active in 4H and music. She loved to read, cook, sew, and do handicrafts. She was an honor student and graduated from Cache High School in 1956. She was voted to be the Newton Centennial Queen.
Deanne worked at Utah State University as the secretary for the Industrial Arts Department. There, she met the love of her life, Alvie Lloyd Holyoak. The two married on December 20, 1957, in the Logan LDS Temple. She would always say that she graduated from USU with her M.R.S. Degree!
Together, the couple built a house in Lloyd’s hometown of Moab and welcomed five children to their family. After 15 years in Moab, they moved to the Denver area, living for years in Thornton, Northglenn and Brighton. They moved back to Moab to retire and built another house in 2021.
Deanne worked as a secretary, office manager, and bookkeeper throughout her life. She was skilled in typing, shorthand, and bookkeeping which made her very efficient at her job. She was the first in her family to learn to use a computer and also the first to introduce her grandchildren to computer games! Her grandchildren were always impressed by their technologically savvy grandma.
Deanne earned her real estate license while in Colorado and sold real estate for a few years there. After moving to Moab, she became licensed in Utah and worked for Moab Premier Properties until she retired. She also managed the Rockridge Senior Center and a friend’s rental property.
Deanne’s top priority was always her family. She was a hard worker and although raised as a city girl, she learned to be a farmer’s wife and get her hands dirty caring for and raising cows, chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, turkeys, horses, sheep, rabbits, pigeons, cats and dogs. She will be fondly remembered by her family as being out in the garden weeding with her favorite pigeon riding on her shoulder or perched on her head while she worked. She loved animals and children alike.
She was a wonderful mother with a warm and giving heart, always serving others, and tending to their needs before her own. She had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh. She stood by Lloyd’s side throughout their lives and was always there to support him. She had a firm testimony of Jesus Christ as her Savior and taught her children his Gospel. She served diligently in all her church callings throughout her life and spent many years playing the organ and piano and leading the music for church meetings and the church choir. She was always humming, singing, or whistling a tune. She was very accepting of others and had a heart full of love for everyone.
Deanne was a breast cancer survivor and was, in her own words, “a tough old bird!”
She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Alvie Lloyd Holyoak; children, Alan Holyoak (Diana), Steven Holyoak (Cindy), Tonya Meldrum (Rodney), Roger Holyoak (Rachelle), Diana Rotolo (John); 19 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Merlin and Elda Nelson; grandson, Devin Meldrum; and great-grandson, Damien Holyoak.
Deanne was loved by all and will be dearly missed until that glorious day on which we will be reunited as an eternal family!
A public viewing will be held on Saturday, August 19 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Spanish Valley Mortuary. A short memorial service and graveside dedication will follow at 12:30 p.m. at Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
You may send condolences to the family at www.SpanishValleyMortuary.com.
