Wendy Oakford

Wendy Hales Oakford was born on July 25, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, and died on August 7, 2025, in Lehi, Utah, after an eight-year battle with Alzheimer's Disease. She lived in Denver, Colorado, as a girl and graduated from Crystal Lake High School in Illinois, where she loved singing in the choir. She attended Brigham Young University and majored in Elementary Education. While at BYU, she met Craig Oakford during a tug-of-war and married him three years later, on July 2, 1975, in Oakland, California. They had just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

Wendy lived in Los Angeles and Simi Valley, California, for a total of 46 years before moving to Lehi, Utah, in late 2023. She worked as a teacher for special needs adults and also taught elementary and junior high school. She loved creating-especially tole painting, sewing, and fiber arts of all kinds. Wendy was an extraordinary and prolific quilter.

Our mom loved Jesus and shared the gospel joyfully as she served in Primary, Young Women, Relief Society, and as a ward and stake missionary. She especially loved teaching Gospel Essentials.

Wendy loved traveling with her husband and family. She visited every state in the nation, 48 national parks, and other countries around the world. She enjoyed shopping, chocolate, playing games, watching hummingbirds at the feeder, walking on the beach with Craig, doing puzzles, crafting and reading with her grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband, Craig Martin Oakford; her children, Julie (Nathan) Pettit, Stacy (James) Davis, and Michael (Chelsie) Oakford; and 14 grandchildren she loved so very dearly: Jacob, Joshua, Ainsley, Emerson, Abigail, Olivia, Henry, Evan, Zachary, Isaac, Logan, Spencer, Elliott, and Alice. She was preceded in death by her son, Steven, who was waiting for her in heaven.

Interment will take place at Lehi City Cemetery on Monday, August 11th at 10:00AM.