LaFawn Carol Graff Holt – Daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, friend - passed away March 18, 2009 in Amherst, Ohio from complications of a fall which occurred in 2005. LaFawn and her beloved husband, Roland, were living with their daughter, Rebecca, at the time of LaFawn's death. (Well, technically Mom was a resident of the Golden Acres Extended Care Facility in Amherst : the sledding hill was visible out her bedroom window.)
LaFawn was born April 16, 1924 in Salt Lake City to Milton T and Anna Holmquist Graff. She was a brilliant woman with a disarming sense of humor; she loved poetry and old movies. She graduated from East High School in 1942, joined Alpha Chi Omega at the University of Utah and graduated in Home Economics in 1947, receiving the John A Widstoe Award.
She was teaching at Irving Jr High when she met Roland A Holt at an Institute dance. They married June 9, 1948 in the SL Temple. They shared 60 choice years together and were blessed with 3 children – Roland Douglas Holt (Jeri Curtis) of Safford Arizona, Steven Graff Holt (Susan Higbee) of Salt Lake, and Rebecca Ann Holt Stay (Randall W.) of Amherst Ohio.
LaFawn was an artist, using pen and ink, clay, copper, paint and fabric. She did hundreds of illustrations for The Children’s Friend magazine. She loved playing with her children, making doll houses and playhouses, doll clothes, wooden cowboys and indians, games and costumes for them. She created the first Quiet book - which she sold patterns for as a fundraiser for Alpha Chi Omega -, a play rug, and superfriend capes. 100s of these play ideas were published, sold at Mormon Handicraft and used in classes at BYU. To help pay for her sons’ missions, LaFawn travelled selling fabric and as a rep for the Utah Dairy Council, but she preferred to freely give away all her creative ideas, especially to young moms with children. With her generous spirit, LaFawn was never lonely.
She had an abiding testimony of the restored Church and a deep faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. She served in all LDS auxiliaries and loved the nursery and Cub Scouting. She served as a member of the Primary lesson manual and teacher training writing committees. She did the artwork on the Gaynote lesson manual cover. Roland appreciated her constant support through the many years he was scoutmaster over 50 boys and Bishop of the East Mill Creek 7th Ward (750 active members!).
LaFawn was preceded in death by her parents, her baby brother Dean, her Swedish Grandpa, granddaughter Chrissa Lee Holt and others. She is survived by her husband, Roland, her 3 children, her sisters Mary Matheson and Shirley Ann Graff , both of Salt Lake, 13 loving grand children and 15+ great-grand children.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00AM, Saturday, March 28, 2009 at Mountain View Memorial Estates Cemetery Chapel, 3115 east 7800 South in Cottonwood Heights. Viewing Friday March 27, 6-8 PM and at 10 AM Saturday at the same facility. Burial will be at that Cemetery near her loved mountains and granddaughter.
No flowers, please. Fawnie would prefer that you contribute generously to your favorite gospel charity. Condolences may be sent care of Steven Holt, 8051 Demerest Rd., SLC 84121.
