Jay D Schvaneveldt

Jay D Schvaneveldt died January 25, 2023 in Ogden, Utah. He was born January 15, 1937, the second child to parents Delbert and Ruth Schvaneveldt. His birth occurred in the Franklin County Memorial Hospital and his days of childhood and youth unfolded in Cedarville and Weston, Idaho. Upon his arrival home from the hospital, the last mile of the journey took place in a horse-pulled bobsled as deep snow and blizzard conditions prevented further travel by automobile.

He attended grade school in Weston and graduated from West Side High School in the spring of 1955, where he served as the Student Body President during his senior year. He was active in sports, chorus, speech, drama, and was a member of the FFA Team of six that won the state championship in Parliamentary Debate in Boise in 1954-1955.

He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Western States Mission (1957-1959). He married Karren Balls in the Logan Temple on September 16, 1959. One daughter and three sons came from this love journey.

He served as Branch President in Tallahassee, Bishop of the Logan First Ward, Scout Master, Gospel Doctrine teacher, Logan Temple worker, and other callings. From 2011-2013, he and Karren served a full-time mission to Denmark and in the Church History Department in Salt Lake City.

He graduated from Utah State University in 1961 and then earned master’s and Ph.D. degrees at Florida State University as an NDEA Fellow. He later completed postdoctoral work at the University of Minnesota. For four decades he was a professor of Family Science and Human Development at several universities including Utah State University, Florida State University and Brigham Young University. He was a prolific scholar and published many books and academic articles. His love of history also led him to publish the History of Weston, Idaho in 2010, as well as other books telling the stories of life in rural, small town Idaho.

Jay loved international work and was a Fulbright Scholar and John F. Kennedy Professor at Khon Kaen University in Thailand in 1991-1992, and again as a Fulbright Scholar in the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain in 1995-1996. He was an ambassador for freedom, democracy, and a better life for children and families.

He was active in many civic organizations including the Farm Bureau, PTA, Head Start, founder and president of the Cache Valley Carriage Association, Chairman of the Historical Preservation Commission for Logan, and chair of the committee to preserve Logan’s historic train station. An activity of devotion for Jay and Karren was restoring and living in the Marriner S. Eccles mansion in Logan for almost four decades, and later building a ranch and home in the Weston Canyon hills of his childhood. Favorite hobbies included antiques, horses, carriages, sleighs, and history.

Jay enjoyed the good life on mother earth, deeply appreciated the many gifts that came from God, and the lessons from so many good teachers and associates.
He is survived by his four children Cindy, Shane (Pamela), Todd (Kathy) and Paul (Rachel), four siblings and their spouses, eight grandchildren (Laura, David (Emily), Jacob, Matthew, James, Joseph, Elisabeth, Ashley), and one great-grandson (William). He is preceded in death by his wife Karren, his parents, and granddaughter Rebekah Schvaneveldt.