Judith Johnson Hunsaker, 86, of Provo, Utah, passed away peacefully on the morning of June 16, 2026, surrounded by family. She was born on April 6, 1940 in Logan, Utah, and lived a life devoted to faith in God, family, music, learning, and quiet service.

Judy was raised in Honeyville, Utah as the second of six remarkable children born to Conrad Albert and Norma Monson Johnson, loving parents who nurtured the values that defined her life: faith, industry, discipline, integrity, kindness, and a deep appreciation for learning and teaching.

After graduating from Box Elder High School as a distinguished graduate, Judy earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Brigham Young University. There she began dating “the boy down the street,” Orvil Glade Hunsaker. Although they had grown up just one block apart in Honeyville, their relationship grew into a lasting love while they were both students at BYU. On September 1, 1961, Judy and Glade were sealed together eternally in the Salt Lake Temple. Theirs was a devoted companionship that spanned nearly 60 years in mortality, grounded in the eternal covenant they cherished.

Music was both Judy’s passion and her lifelong ministry. By the age of 11, she was already teaching piano and playing the organ in church. While raising her children, she returned to BYU and earned a master’s degree in music theory. Over more than seven decades, she shared her musical gifts as a piano teacher, accompanist, organist, and performer. Judy enjoyed seven wonderful years as a member of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, where she participated in the dedication ceremony of the LDS Conference Center, performed at a U.S. presidential inauguration, and filled music halls across Europe with hymns of praise. For Judy, music was a direct channel between Heaven and the human soul: “for surely the song of the righteous is a prayer unto God.”

Judy’s devotion to music complemented Glade’s love of literature, and together they cultivated a deep appreciation for the humanities. They shared that passion while directing three BYU Study Abroad groups in London, teaching at Southern Virginia University, and as missionaries in Mauritius, and completing a humanitarian mission in Kenya.

The legacy Judy leaves her family is one of selfless service. She believed the home is a sacred place, and she worked tirelessly to make hers a place of peace, purpose, and belonging. Her children called her “the defender of the downtrodden” for the way she instinctively stood up for anyone she felt was being unfairly criticized or overlooked. Her love of scripture, music, reading, and service was woven seamlessly into daily life. Regardless of how busy she was, Judy found time to bake bread, share a home-cooked meal, or simply sit and visit with a neighbor or friend in need.

Judy faced profound personal loss with dignity, faith, and forgiveness, including the untimely deaths of her sons Kurtis and Kenneth. In later years, her devoted care for Glade through his long struggle with Parkinsons disease became another expression of her love and discipleship. Those who knew her saw that sorrow did not harden her heart; instead, it deepened her compassion, strengthened her devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and anchored her faith in eternal families and in the healing power of the Savior.

Judy was a constant presence in the lives of her many grandchildren. She attended recitals and performances, remembered every birthday, taught them piano, read them her favorite stories, played games with them, and created a home where they felt safe, welcome, and loved.

Judy is survived by her siblings: Spencer, Kim, and Denice; her seven children: Kristen (Will) Christensen of Orem; Brent (Stacie) Hunsaker of Orem; Melanie (Bret) Prescott of Orem; Derek (Jennifer) Hunsaker of San Diego; Trevor (Robyn) Hunsaker of Orem; Devin (Leanna) Hunsaker of Phoenix; and Paul (Angela) Hunsaker of Taylorsville; as well as 27 cherished grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Conrad Albert and Norma Monson Johnson; her beloved husband, Glade; her sons, Kurtis and Kenneth; and her sisters, Carol and Shauna.

Judy will be remembered as a woman of faith, intellect, kindness, and charity. Her life was a gentle testimony that lasting influence is built day by day through constancy, service, and love. In the concluding testimony of her personal memoir, she expressed her joyful hope for the life to come: “I look forward to being part of heavenly choirs and the sacred music of our eternal future.”

Funeral services will be held at the LDS Edgemont 6th Ward chapel, 4056 Timpview Drive, Provo, Utah, on Monday, June 22, at 1:00 p.m. Friends and family may visit Sunday evening from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at Walker Sanderson Funeral Home, 646 E. 800 N., Orem, Utah, and again on Monday from 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at the ward building prior to the service.

Internment will take place at the Orem City Cemetery.