Joyce Taylor Trent

Joyce Taylor Trent, age 91, passed away peacefully on November 11, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of grit, determination, and boundless love for her family and friends.

Joyce was born on March 1, 1935, in Provo, Utah, the second of four children born to LeRoy and Elsie Taylor, alongside her siblings Bert, John, and Jean. Growing up during the Great Depression on a small dairy farm in the river bottoms of Provo, Joyce learned the value of hard work early in life. Her father worked tirelessly running the farm, cutting ice at the mouth of Provo Canyon, and working at Geneva Steel Mill, even coming home after long shifts to help Joyce with her math homework.

Joyce attended Timpanogos Elementary, Dixon Junior High—where she loved serving as the 8th-grade student government class secretary—and Provo High School. Out of their family's meager resources, her mother would give her dimes to pay for piano lessons on 5th West, mastered cooking, sewing, and shorthand in high school, and worked across the street from school serving phosphates at B & H Pharmacy.

While taking classes at Brigham Young University, Joyce walked into a psychology class in the old BYU Academy building—a moment that changed her life. An 18-year-old freshman from Bend, Oregon, named Dennis Trent, was sitting in the room (actually in the wrong class) when he spotted her. He asked his friend who she was. When his friend told him,"Oh, that’s Joyce Taylor. She doesn’t go out with anybody," Dennis was not deterred. They were married on March 18, 1955. Before the wedding, LeRoy and Elsie pulled Dennis aside to warn him that their daughter was fiercely stubborn. Dennis didn't flinch, and that very stubbornness—which could be called grit and determination—carried them through a remarkable life together. (As Joyce famously insisted, she never had "birthing pains" when delivering her seven children—she hadcontractions.)

Shortly after their marriage, due to shifting Korean War draft statuses, Dennis was called to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee mission. Pregnant with their first child, Leslie, Joyce moved back in with her parents and worked at the State Mental Institution to support them. While Dennis was away, Grandpa Taylor gifted them a lot from the farm, and with the help of their local ward, built the couple's first home.

Over the next decade, Joyce stood steadfastly by Dennis as he completed his education and medical school, welcoming Jonathan, Robert, and Peter along the way, followed by Heidi and Patrick after returning to Provo while Dennis taught at BYU. In 1968, the family moved to San Antonio, Texas, where their seventh child, James, was born. Six years later, they moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, where Dennis worked for the CDC and they raised their family for many years. Once the children were grown, Joyce joyfully accompanied Dennis around the globe for his scientific career—living in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Texas, and even Lyon, France—before finally returning to her beloved Utah Valley and settling in American Fork in retirement.

A devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joyce had a gift for making friends anywhere she went. Though she always called Dennis the missionary of the family, Joyce could strike up a conversation with anyone and served faithfully as a Relief Society President, Young Women's leader, visiting teacher, and Sunday School teacher—famously taming a rowdy Sunday School class (including her son James) and teaching them for six straight years.

Music filled Joyce's home. She loved playing dramatic, romantic pieces from the 1940s and 50s on the piano—such asBlue Moon, Deep Purple, and Slaughter on 10th Avenue—and adored Van Cliburn’s recording of Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto. She sang alto in the ward choir and lovingly fostered a love of music in her children.

At home, Joyce ran a tight, orderly ship built on love, discipline, and self-reliance. She believed deeply in "on-the-job training." Her children were expected to make their beds, finish their homework before anything else, respect their teachers, and pitch in with daily chores. She taught every one of them how to set a proper table and cook a full meal—from mashing potatoes and making roast and gravy to whipping up a classic tuna casserole. There were no free handouts for pocket money; Joyce pushed her kids to hustle with paper routes, mowing lawns, babysitting, and grocery store jobs, famously driving her Dodge Omni downtown to help haul bundles of newspapers for her children's routes.

Joyce showed her love most generously through her cooking, feeding everyone who walked through her door. She also treasured the simple joys of nature—taking picnics up the canyon, walking through her neighborhood, and strolling around Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Joyce Taylor Trent was a woman of remarkable grit, warmth, and quiet strength who built a life centered on faith, family, and service. From her Depression-era roots on a small Provo dairy farm to raising seven children and following her beloved husband Dennis around the world, she met every challenge with unwavering determination and grace. Joyce expressed her love through generous home-cooked meals, romantic melodies on the piano, and a fierce dedication to teaching her children the value of hard work and self-reliance. Whether striking up a conversation with a stranger, serving faithfully in her church, or walking peacefully around Bear Lake, she made everyone around her feel welcomed, cared for, and deeply loved. Her enduring legacy of resilience and kindness lives on in the many lives she touched.

She is survived by her seven children: Leslie, Jonathan, Robert, Peter, Heidi, Patrick, and James, along with her beloved grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and extended family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dennis Trent, and her parents, LeRoy and Elsie Taylor and brothers Bert and John.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 11:00 AM at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel located at 2161 West Grays Drive, Lehi, Utah. A viewing will be held prior to the service from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM. Interment will follow at the American Fork Cemetery. The funeral service will be live streamed or view later at this link:Joyce Taylor Trent Funeral.