Amy Lin Monson
Amy Lin Monson passed away at her home in Provo, Utah, February 14, 2020, just as the sun was setting on Valentine's Day. She died peacefully of natural causes, surrounded by her parents and other family members. She was 46 years old. Amy came to earth on May 30, 1973, in Walnut Creek, California, the youngest of her parents' nine children. Though Amy was born with Down's Syndrome, her parents happily chose to keep her at home at a time when it was still common for children with this condition to be institutionalized. Her family embraced the latest techniques for her care, and she thrived in a loving, home environment. Moving with her family to Utah as an infant, Amy benefited from her mother's at-home pre-school, and then attended Barrett and Cherry Hill Elementary Schools, where she was often mainstreamed into regular classrooms. Amy also attended Vienna Virginia Elementary when her family lived in the Washington, DC area for a year. After returning to Utah, she attended Canyon Crest Elementary and represented her school in the Utah Special Olympics in 1984. She continued her education at Dixon Jr. High and Provo High School, participating in the choir program, going on tour with them to California, and graduating in 1991. Following her graduation from high school and Provo LDS Seminary, Amy attended institute classes at Utah Valley University for many years. She held several jobs in the foodservice industry, including at the Provo Missionary Training Center cafeteria, the Cougareat at Brigham Young University (hereafter BYU), and most recently at Little Caesar's Pizza on Bulldog Blvd. in Provo. She participated in the Best Buddies Program at BYU and made many lifelong friends through this program and during her daily walks through campus. Amy loved to dance and participated for many years in the Special Needs Dance Program at BYU, winning several awards for her waltz, foxtrot, and salsa. Music was an important part of Amy's life. She had a lovely singing voice, took private voice lessons, and enjoyed singing in ward and stake choirs and with her family. She even sang in a Young Women's choir for General Conference in the Tabernacle at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Composer Janice Kapp Perry tells of an experience she had with Amy and the song "Love is Spoken Here" in a short video interview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbxHDvBeebI. Amy loved watching favorite movies and TV shows with family and friends. In her heyday, she had a vast media collection and an almost encyclopedic knowledge of its contents. She loved making lists of new and rare items to collect and looking for them in niche locations. As technology progressed, she learned how to navigate the internet and posted many favorite things on her Facebook page. Amy also loved to travel. When her parents served a full-time mission to Taiwan, Amy lived in their basement apartment with several college-aged roommates and traveled on the weekends to visit siblings in Utah, Idaho, and Chicago, Illinois. She lived for several months with one of her brothers and his wife in Highland, Utah. She bravely traveled all the way to Taiwan to fulfill a short-term mission with her parents, bearing her testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ through song. In later years, Amy used her earnings to go on yearly trips with a sister and her husband. These included a trip to Hawaii to visit the Polynesian Cultural Center and Sunset Beach; a road trip to see Donny and Marie Osmond perform live in Las Vegas; and a final trip to Los Angeles to visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame and see a memorable performance of Sesame Street Live. Amy was a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For many years, she participated in the Special Needs Activities Program (SNAP) at a chapel near her home. Amy loved serving as a special assistant to her ward Relief Society President and faithfully fulfilled many other assignments at church and at home. She appreciated the love and kindness shown to her by family, friends, and neighbors, including members of the Oak Hills 1st Ward and the Oak Hills Stake. Amy often showed her love and gratitude by giving wonderful hugs. Her family is deeply grateful for all who have been a part of her life. She is survived by her parents, Calvin E. and Claudia S. Monson and her eight siblings and their spouses/partners: Calvin S. and Shawna Monson; Chris and Marie Monson; Liz and Brett Thomas; Stephen DeAngelo Monson and Rebecca Sherman; Karen and Jeff Carter; Tom and Kristin Monson; Quin and Kate Monson; and David and Jodie Monson. Amy also cultivated meaningful relationships with many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and--in recent years--even grand nieces and nephews. We are all better, more compassionate people because of Amy. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, February 25, at 11:00 am in the Oak Hills 1st Ward Chapel, 1038 North 1200 East, Provo. Viewings will be held on Monday, February 24, from 6:30-8:30 pm, and the morning of the funeral, from 9:30-10:30 am, at the same location. Interment will follow at the American Fork Cemetery.
https://www.nelsonmortuary.com/obituaries/amy-monson
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