Mary Arnett

Mary Gene Arnett (née Hadfield), age 79, beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend passed away peacefully on October 12, 2026, in her home in South Jordan Utah.

Born January 24, 1947 in Tremonton, Utah, Mary was the oldest of seven children born to
Beverly Jean Hadfield (née Summers) (1926 - 2009) and John LaVoy Hadfield (1926 - 2005). The family moved from Tremonton to Boise, Idaho when Mary was three years old. A life-long musician and lover
of music, Mary played the flute for Boise High School’s concert and marching bands as well as
for her church congregation’s gatherings. Upon graduating from Boise High, she first attended
Boise State University and then Ricks College before transferring to Brigham Young University.
During her college years, she spent a summer living and working with friends at the famous
Jackson Hole Playhouse in Wyoming. Back at BYU, she met a young chemical engineering
major named Ronald Arnett through a pickup game of “toss the football” on the quad. After a
brief courtship, they married on January 24, 1968 in the Idaho Fall, Idaho LDS temple. When
Ron graduated from BYU, they relocated to Richland, Washington, where they welcomed seven
children: Lisa, Jeff, Mari, Teresa, Bruce, Kathryn, and Janae. While raising her family and
volunteering for her church, Mary also taught piano lessons in her home. After moves
necessitated by Ron’s work to Idaho Falls, ID and then to Utah, Mary achieved one of her
educational goals by earning her bachelor’s degree in History from BYU. Her love for education
and a desire to more deeply understand the LDS scriptures led her to study the Hebrew language
over two decades, culminating in her life-long goal to visit the Holy Land in 2022. As a mother
and grandmother, Mary enjoyed sewing costumes for her little ones, engaging with them in
imaginative play, and teaching them how to sew, crochet, play the piano, and bake bread.
Throughout her life, she continued to pursue her calling of bringing joy to others through music
by forming a steel drum band and, later on, a ukulele group, putting on concerts for her
communities. After Ron’s death in 2016 from multiple sclerosis, Mary poured herself into
volunteering at Hearts Knit Together and serving as a missionary for LDS Employment Services
in South Jordan, Utah. Mary also enjoyed traveling to new places with various family members,
including visits to Venezuela, Guatemala, Hawaii, Israel, Alaska, Europe, the isles of the
Caribbean, and Mexico. A devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
Mary is survived by her children Lisa Walker, Jeff Arnett, Mari Talkin, Teresa Arnett-Affleck,
Bruce Arnett, Kathryn Arnett, Janae Scott as well as by 6 siblings, 17 grandchildren, and 3
great-grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at the Jenkins-Soffe funeral home,
1007 W. South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, Utah at 12pm with a visitation prior from 11 to 11:45am. Internment will follow at the Bountiful City Cemetery. The family gratefully accepts gifts of flowers delivered to Jenkins-Soffe . . . please click on the link below the obituary to select a floral gift.