Mary Yvonne "Bonnie" (Silver) Haymond

 Our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, Bonnie Haymond, passed away peacefully in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 5, 2023 just as the morning sun came streaming through the window.  She was one day short of her 92nd birthday.  Mary Yvonne Silver was born on October 6, 1931 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Mamie Richards Silver and Clarence Watson Silver.  Her older brother, then a toddler, started calling her Bonnie when he could not pronounce her long, elegant name.  It stuck and she was known by that name for the rest of her life.

Bonnie grew up in the Sugarhouse area and attended local schools, graduating from East High School.  Her favorite place as a child was the Silver family cabin in Mt. Aire Canyon.  Mom’s family lived there for most of the summer to get out of the valley heat.  Bonnie would eventually take her own children to the Mt. Aire cabin as often as possible during the summer where we spent time with our maternal grandparents and learned to hike and enjoy the outdoors.  Mom especially enjoyed spending her October birthday at the cabin in Mt. Aire.  It was her favorite time of year. 

Bonnie and George became sweethearts when mom was 15.  They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on November 6, 1950.   

Mom learned to love skiing at a young age and skied regularly at Alta and Brighton with her family until age got in her way.  Our family also enjoyed camping and exploring the wilderness, from Yellowstone to the red-rock country of the Colorado River.  This involved much effort and planning on Mom’s part as well as inventiveness from both of our parents.  All the camping trips were a way that the family could enjoy vacations on a limited budget.  We learned to love the beauty of God’s creations. When we left behind the comforts of home, we also learned to adopt an attitude of wonder and exploration that has served all of us well throughout our lives. As our family grew summer adventures evolved into fun times at Mom and Dad’s beloved Bear Lake retreat.

Mom was devoted to caring for her children and home.  She got up early to cook us breakfast before school every day.  We sat down to dinner in the evening and had special, Sunday dinners.  Our home was clean and well-organized.  The lesson was implicit:  For those that you love, work, effort, consistency, care and presence are the backbone holding up love.   

Bonnie served in many callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  She spent several years in the Primary.  She and George looked forward to their weekly evenings as Temple workers at the Salt Lake Temple where they shared their testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were thrilled to receive a call to serve as senior missionaries/Temple workers in the Hawaii Temple.  It was a very special adventure for them as a couple.  In mom’s later life, she was keen on daily study of the scriptures.

Bonnie endured bravely as she has faced life alone without the love, support and protection of her dear husband, our father, when he passed away twelve years ago.  She faced with courage the challenge of living with a brutal and progressive, chronic illness.  Parkinson’s disease gradually but surely robbed her of one thing and then another until it deprived her of life altogether.   

She is survived by her six children, Linda Haymond (Scott R. Nelson); David G. Haymond (Lisa); Joyce Taylor (Terry); Janice Barton (Dave); Steven S. Haymond (Angela); and Jeffrey S. Haymond (Veronica), 20 grandchildren and 51 great-grandchildren.  

She is preceded in death by her parents, siblings and by her husband, George Chandler Parkinson Haymond.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the LDS Church missionary fund.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, October 16, 2023 at 12:00 PM at the Millcreek Canyon Ward Chapel, 3640 Millstream Lane, Millcreek, Utah, with a family gathering and viewing at 9:30 to 10:45, and a public viewing starting at 11:00. 

Interment will take place at 12:00 PM on Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at the Salt Lake City Cemetery, 200 North N Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.