May 18, 1932 — August 26, 2023

Dawn Jayne Baker Brimley, of Provo, Utah, passed away on August 26, 2023. Dawn was born on May 18, 1932, the youngest child of Leonard and Florence Payne Baker. She was born and raised in Monroe, Utah, a town she dearly loved. She and her older sister, Marie, grew up in a very loving home. Dawn attended Brigham Young University from 1951-1955, graduating in sociology with a minor in psychology. She excelled in school. There, she met and fell in love with Vern Brimley, Jr. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 17, 1955. They had a love and friendship that ran deep. In one of her poems, “The Coming of February,” she related the changing of the seasons to her marriage. She wrote, “I feel the first winds of our descending winter days when my best source of warmth will be your February face.” Dawn adored her three beautiful daughters: Lisa, Sheryl, and Shana. In her words, she was “ferociously proud” of them. She said, “my family has justified my life.” Dawn loved to travel and experience the world. She and Vern arranged many family trips to California. They spent many winters in Hawaii. Dawn and Vern had the opportunity to live in Redditch, England, for a year from 1962-1963 when Vern taught school through a Fulbright Scholarship. Dawn was an active member in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She served a mission as a greeter at the Salt Lake Temple Visitors’ Center and was called to serve on a general church writing committee, writing lessons for Relief Society manuals. She served as a teacher in Relief Society and Young Women’s as well as serving as Young Women’s President in her ward. She had a great love for and inspired those she taught. She started and was a leader of her ward book group for more than twenty years. To say that Dawn loved literature is an understatement. She loved words and was a gifted writer. She had poetry published in the “Ensign,” “BYU Studies,” “Dialogue,” “Sunstone” and “Segullah.” She won first place in the Eliza R. Snow all-church competition, and first and second place in the Eisteddfod Lyrical Poetry Contest at BYU in 1986 and 1987. She published two books of poetry. Dawn had two poems included in a BYU book of poetry entitled “Discoveries: a Collection of Poems by Mormon Women.” She wrote the lyrics to a song about missionaries called, “Thy Will and Work to Do,” published with Newell Dayley as composer. She taught Children’s Literature at BYU for three years. Dawn was active in her community serving in various capacities. She was the founder of the literary group Etienne more than 50 years ago. This group is still active today. She was also an early member of the League of Women Voters. Dawn was passionate. She loved her home, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, yellow aspens on the shores of Fish Lake, politics (she was a proud, life-long Democrat), and most of all, her family. She told her family they were beautiful, intelligent, and kind. She believed her family was the very best, so they believed it. Dawn is preceded in death by her parents, Leonard and Florence Baker, her sister, Marie Baker Beacham and an infant brother, Harry Louis Baker. She is survived by her loving husband, Vern, daughters Lisa Clark (David), Sheryl Thomas, Shana Heyn (Michael), grandchildren Lindsey Voltolini (Brian), Jayne Wells (Jed), Russell Wilde, Katie Hydrick (Lance), Charles Clark (Stephanie), Daniel Clark (Laura), Andrew Thomas (Aubrie), Paige Pectol (Ian), Mitchell Heyn (Jordyn), and Serena Knaphus (Kody), and 26 great-grandchildren. In her poem, “Some Summer Mornings,” she writes about going fishing with her father at Fish Lake. She wrote, “Our lake, drinking up the blue-black sky, held more than fish or moon, and still there are days, moonlit mornings in summer when I awake and wait to feel a slight, deft tug from another, deeper place.” Her family will hold these words close in the coming days. They love her more than tongue-can-tell. The family wishes to thank Susanna, Ryann, and Sarah from Utah Home Health and Hospice and Abi from Visiting Angels. They extend a special thanks to Jami for her loving care of Dawn in her final days. Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 2, 2023, at Nelson Family Mortuary, 4780 North University Avenue, Provo, Utah. A visitation will be held at noon, with the funeral to follow at 1:00. Interment at East Lawn Memorial Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to: www.nelsonmortuary.com.