MARY JANE WARNER
Mary Jane Newell Warner, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, teacher, and friend passed away March 12, 2022. Mary Jane was born January 5, 1950 to Mervin Clark and Helen Adelaide Newell of Mona, Utah.
She attended elementary school in Mona and graduated from Juab High in Nephi where her father was the principal. Mary Jane first attended Snow College, then Utah State University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Family and Consumer Sciences. Later, she attended Brigham Young University and received a Special Education endorsement.
Mary Jane married her high school sweetheart - the love of her life, Blair Nolan Warner - in the Manti Utah Temple, December 18,1971. They were blessed with four children: Paul, Brian, Christine, and Jonathan.
Mary Jane taught in the Nebo School District for 28 years. The majority of her career was at Legacy, a school for young mothers. She taught Foods, Interior Design, Health, and Special Education; she managed their library and was the director of their in-school day care program.
It was important to Mary Jane that her children and grandchildren always felt supported in their education. She was always their biggest advocate. She served as the PTA President at Taylor Elementary and was the PTA Council President. After she retired, she was a “Grandma” for her granddaughter's classroom. She started “Grandma’s Summer School” for all the grandkids, and held summer reading programs which always involved rewards. In her travels, she collected children’s books about the places they visited.
Mary Jane volunteered for the Communities that Care program as an instructor for the Strengthening Families class. For Payson Drama Lions she donated her time sewing costumes. At the beginning of the pandemic, she sewed masks for Project Protect which was organized by her church.
She was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in numerous teaching and leadership positions. Her callings included Primary President, Sunday School Teacher, Young Women's Leader, twice as Relief Society President, and a Temple Ordinance Worker. Most of all, she was an example of how to live the gospel.
From 2017 to 2019, Mary Jane served with her husband in the Georgia Atlanta Mission as mission secretary. She also assisted in the local addiction recovery program of the church. She loved working with the young missionaries and aimed to make their experience better. They came to think of her affectionately as their surrogate grandmother.
Mary Jane loved to work in the yard and keep an immaculate home. She loved serving others and many received her kindness. Her children and grandchildren remember many times when she taught them how to cook, do crafts, and sew.
Mary Jane is survived by: her husband Blair of Payson, children Paul (Seasons) of Springville, Brian (Angie) of Payson, Christine (Chris) Lane of Payson, and Jonathan (Sydni) of Santaquin; and her siblings Saundra Lawrence of Spanish Fork, Ronnie (Shirley) Newell of Nephi, Paula (Mark) Soderborg of American Fork, Matthew (Rea) Newell of Decatur Illinois, and Allyn (Mark) Malan of North Ogden, 15 grandchildren and one great-grandson. She was preceded in death by her parents, her step-mother Shirleen Newell, a brother-in-law Fred Lawrence, and one granddaughter Heidi Warner.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Legacy School via the Nebo Foundation https://www.nebo.edu/foundation/donate. Be sure to specify "In memory of Mary Jane Warner to Legacy School."
Friends may call at the Walker Funeral Home in Payson on Wednesday, March 16th from 6 to 8 p.m. A graveside service will be held at the Payson City Cemetery, Thursday, March 17th at 11 a.m.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.walkermemorials.com
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