Susan Naylor

Our beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, Susan Marie Dearden Naylor, passed away peacefully on March 21, 2026, surrounded by her family. Sue faced an aggressive neurological disease with remarkable courage. While it quickly took her physical abilities, it never diminished her brilliant mind, her love and faith, or her enduring spirit. She was born in Long Beach, California, the first child and only daughter of Clair and Lou Jean Newey Dearden, with her father returning from his last tour of duty in the Navy just ten days after her birth.

Sue was born singing and dancing and carried a love of music throughout her life. At age four, her family moved to La Habra, California, and later to Salt Lake City, Utah, where she and her mother enjoyed putting on plays and sometimes variety shows in their backyard.

After her parents divorced when she was eleven, Sue moved to Loveland, Colorado, with her mother and stepfather, attending ninth through eleventh grade there. She later graduated from Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, Wyoming, where she was an active member of the National Forensics League (speech, debate, and drama) and the Pep Club. She then moved to Bountiful, Utah, where she attended LDS Business College, Weber State College, and the University of Utah at various times. To pay for her education, she worked many jobs, including as a CNA, an office manager, a guide at Temple Square, and in the Presiding Bishopric’s Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she helped write the first teaching manual.

In July 1975, she was called as a missionary in the Uruguay Montevideo LDS Mission. Sue deeply loved the people of Uruguay and Paraguay and returned from South America with a profound and lasting appreciation for Latin culture and the friends she made there.

She met her first husband, Juan Orquiz, while teaching English at the Guadalupe Center in Salt Lake City. The couple married in December 1980; they later divorced. She married Lance Naylor in 2001; they later separated.

Sue earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Weber State University in 2008 and completed her Master’s degree as a Community Family Nurse Practitioner in 2012. After obtaining her nursing degree, she worked for Terry Reilly Health Services in Nampa, Idaho, and Molina Medical Clinic in West Valley City, Utah. She continued her practice at multiple clinics, and her love for teaching led her to serve as a professor in the Nursing Department at Weber State University. After training with the Institute of Functional Medicine, she opened her own practice, Roots and Raíces Functional Medicine, in South Ogden in 2019. Sue always wanted to be a nurse, pausing that journey to raise her four wonderful children, and then returning to nursing in honor of her mother after her unexpected death. She spent much of her life serving people who were suffering in body and mind, strangers as well as family.

Sue was active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she served in multiple callings, including Relief Society and Primary President. Her favorite calling was Nursery Leader, where she joyfully shared her love of the Gospel with children through art, storytelling, and play. The Church was not just something she participated in; it was the center of her life.

Sue lived and loved loudly! Her unconditional love for everyone guided everything she did. Next to her children, her grandchildren were her greatest joy. She never missed a sports event or dance recital. She was a master gardener, canning everything so nothing was wasted. She was an incredible seamstress, sewing many outfits for special events, including blessings, baptisms, and her daughter’s wedding dress. Many generations of family members recall the wonderful Halloween costumes she made just for them.

Sue loved the simple joys of life and found happiness in both everyday moments and lifelong dreams. She enjoyed being in nature, especially hiking and camping, and often took her kids on long drives, where getting “lost” became part of the adventure. She loved to cook and experiment with new “nutritious” recipes. A natural learner, Sue spent many hours studying and researching, whether she was working on family history or searching for answers to complex medical questions. She also found strength and peace in reading the Book of Mormon daily, which reflected the deep faith that guided her life.

Sue used her talents to make everyone feel special and seen. Her deep abiding faith in her Savior, Jesus Christ, was evident in all she did. Even through her many challenges, her faith never wavered. She was an inspiration in her resilience and love of life.

Sue is survived by her children, Juan Pedro “J.P.” Orquiz, Ogden; Lorenzo Clair (Kelsey) Orquiz, Ogden; Paula Marie (Paul) Richardson, Washington Terrace; and Alexandro Daniel “Alex” (Genevieve) Orquiz, Washington Terrace; nine grandchildren, Charlotte, Oliver, Laurel, Hendrik, Leo, Hattie, Ivy, Hugh, and Otto; and siblings, Tom (Jana) Dearden, Dan (Vivian) Dearden, Lisa (Patrick) Trepanier, and Lori (Steve) Mulvey. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Memorial services for Sue will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 12 p.m. at the LDS Ward Chapel, 2115 Jefferson Ave., Ogden, Utah 84401. Friends may visit with family on Thursday from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. at the church.

Special thanks to Maria Wagstaff, Sue’s daughter Paula, and many other loving family members and friends for surrounding Sue with love, comfort, and gentle care during her final months.