Johnell Charlene Chabries

How we will miss our dear sister, Johnell Charlene Chabries, who was born on February, 17, 1952, to the family of Melvin Edward Chabries and Maxine Westover Chabries. She came into a loving family who were eager to welcome what would be the only daughter. Charlene, as she was known growing up in Bountiful, Utah, quickly became the apple of her father’s eye who frequently referred to her as “Princess.”

Throughout life, she faced many health challenges. She graduated from Viewmont High School with the highest of honors and then served honorably as a missionary in the Arcadia, California Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She kept in contact with many of those from her mission experience through much of her life.

Charlene quickly developed an independent nature. She decided that she preferred the name Johnell – a name her great grandmother had requested to honor her great grandfather John and her great grandmother Nellie. Calling Johnell on the phone or picking her up for a play or family gathering or waiting for her to arrive at a family dinner often became an adventure that brought smiles to our faces. She was always proper, but never conventional. During those years the family would always hear about Julie Andrews, her favorite actress. Being the “proper” non-singing person that Johnell was, we all smile when recalling that she came out of a six-week coma singing “I’m in the mood for love.”

Johnell enrolled and graduated from Salt Lake Community College. She enjoyed working for Questar and spent her career there. Questar and her friends there treated her so kindly and supported her throughout her health trials. She felt fulfilled by the contributions she made on her job and then retired soon after Questar was purchased by Dominion Energy.

To provide for her through life, her father helped her find some land to establish a home in West Bountiful, Utah. Other acquaintances, neighbors, friends, and family often seemed to be available for fixing up her home and make it a place of peace for Johnell, but they first had to be friends with her dogs. Her first dog was appropriately named Princess and was the first in a succession of dogs she held dear. Over the years she pampered the dogs as though they were privileged members of the family.

Johnell developed a love for gardening which she learned from her dad who built grow-boxes for her. Dad loved to help her around the home to make it special for his “Princess.” Mom taught her to develop a love for the arts and travel. Johnell loved cooking classes, travel–especially cruises, the theatre, and crafts. Wanting to develop her talents, she enrolled in Toastmasters and surprised most of the family by doing well in speaking.

After the death of her father over two decades earlier than Johnell, she relied heavily on the love of her mother. During her life, her mother gave her all the love that is possible for a mother to share. Johnell developed a close relationship with her sister-in-law Kristine Chabries and found many good friends among the members of her ward. Johnell and her younger brother Ted were especially close friends, as they had grown up together. Johnell and Ted made an agreement that whoever died first, the other would care for their dog, so now Ted has a large, hairy addition to his family.

Johnell always remained faithful to her testimony of her Savior, Jesus Christ. She had a difficult time with the death of her father and thought about him often during the 25 years since he passed. She mourned the loss of her mother in 2018. Johnell’s own passing on December 1, 2021 was most tender as she was found by family seated on her couch with a craft project, still holding Christmas ribbon in her hand. She apparently had simply closed her eyes and slipped away. She is survived by her three brothers, Doug, Mike and Ted.

The funeral services for Johnell will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, December 11, 2021, at Russon Mortuary, 295 North Main Street, in Bountiful, where a viewing will be held prior to the funeral services from 9 to 9:45 a.m. Following the funeral services, interment will be at Lakeview Memorial Cemetery, 1640 East Lakeview Drive, Bountiful, Utah.

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Brothers Mortuary Facebook page and on this obituary page. The funeral broadcast will begin 10 minutes prior to services. Please stay on this page to view the broadcast.