Kenneth Leon Coleman

Kenneth Leon Coleman, known to those who loved him simply as Ken, passed away peacefully at home on September 30, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. After living with congestive heart failure and its many complications for nearly 30 years, his heart finally grew tired. Through decades of medical treatment, remarkable advances in technology, and countless prayers from family and friends, Ken was blessed with many more years than anyone could have known to expect. This past year, however, his condition worsened, and his body could no longer keep up with the heart that had spent a lifetime loving so many people.

Ken was born on December 8, 1956, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Leon Paul and Phyllis Jean Casdorph Coleman. He grew up in a loving family and developed many of the qualities that would define him throughout his life: quiet strength, hard work, loyalty, a quick sense of humor, and an unwavering love for his family.

Ken graduated from Viewmont High School in Bountiful, Utah, in 1975. He attended LDS Business College and the University of Utah, studying accounting and eventually building a career as an accountant. He had a practical mind and a steady way about him. He was someone people could count on—someone who showed up, did what needed to be done, and quietly took care of the people around him.

From 1976 to 1978, Ken served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ontario, Canada (with M. Russell Ballard as his mission president). His faith was not simply something he talked about; it was something he lived. Throughout his life, Ken served faithfully in many Church callings. One of his favorites was serving as a Priest quorum advisor, where he had the opportunity to teach and spend time with young men he genuinely loved.

Ken had a strong testimony of Jesus Christ. He believed that our Savior lives, that He knows each of us personally, and that families can be together forever. That belief was not just a doctrine to Ken—it was one of the great sources of peace and strength in his life.

And then there was Debbie.

Ken and Debbie built a life together centered around love, faith, family, and an extraordinary amount of laughter. Ken loved his wife deeply. He loved her with the kind of love that becomes part of the foundation of a family. To his children, it was obvious that Mom was Dad's person.

Together, Ken and Debbie were blessed with four children and, eventually, thirteen grandchildren; each one, according to Papa, the very best grandchild ever.

Ken is survived by his eternal companion, Debbie Coleman, and their eight children:

Eric Kenneth and Rebecca Nordes Coleman 

Jamie Coleman and Bryan Paul Brenchley 

Matthew Leon and Cheralie Linford Coleman 

Kenneth Skyler and Shelly Card Coleman

And his thirteen beloved grandchildren:

Camille Jeannette Coleman 

Jaycee Debra Brenchley 

Jordan Skyler Coleman

 Brooklyn Jamie Brenchley

 Cooper Ray Coleman 

Callie Michelle Coleman

 Boston Bryan Brenchley

 Jace L Coleman

 Jersey Lily Brenchley

 Rockwell Skyler Coleman

 Tessa Noel Coleman

 Cache Kenneth Coleman 

Riley Kay Coleman

They were, of course, listed in order of age and not in order of favorite—because Papa made each one feel like they were his favorite.

Dad was the strong, quiet, stoic type. He didn't need to be the loudest person in the room to be the person everyone noticed. He had a steady presence that made people feel safe. He was dependable. He was patient. And he had a sense of humor that could catch you completely off guard.

Dad was funny.

Really funny.

He had a dry, perfectly timed sense of humor and could find something to laugh about even when circumstances were difficult. He didn't complain much about his own struggles. In fact, even during his final days and even in his final moments, his concern was often for the people around him rather than for himself. That was Dad.

He taught us without making a big production of it. He taught us what it meant to keep going. He taught us to work hard, to laugh, to love our family, to serve, and to take care of one another.

And perhaps most importantly, he taught us that life is not about avoiding difficult things. It is about walking through them together.

For thirty years, Ken lived with a heart that didn't always cooperate. Countless doctors, medications, procedures, limitations and setbacks gave him more than a few reasons to be frustrated. But somehow, Dad kept living. He kept loving. He kept showing up.

He kept being Dad.

He got to watch his children grow up. He got to welcome daughters and a son-in-law into the family. He got to become Papa thirteen times. He got to watch grandchildren grow, laugh, play, learn, and become their own people. He got to gather his family around him and experience the thing he valued most: having the people he loved close.

Ken's greatest legacy will not be his career or the things he accumulated during his life. It will be the family he built and the love he gave them.

He wanted everyone to know that his family was blessed, and he knew that families can be together forever.

Dad, you loved Mom and your family to infinity and beyond + 1.

We know you loved us. We hope you always knew how completely we loved you.

We are grateful for every extra year, every laugh, every family gathering, every hug, every joke, every Sunday, every ordinary moment that became special simply because you were there.

We will miss your quiet strength. We will miss your humor. We will miss having you here.

But we will carry you with us: in the way we love our families, in the way we serve others, in the way we laugh through hard things, and in the faith that you taught us to have.

Thank you, Dad, for being our dad.

We won the parent lottery.

We love you, Dad.

This is not Goodbye, Its See Ya Later!

A Viewing will be held on Sunday, October 4, 2026 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at Russon Mortuary, 1941 North Main Street, Farmington, Utah. 

Services will be at 11:00 AM on  Monday, October 5, 2026, at the Farmington 13th Ward building located at 347 South 200 West, Farmington, Utah. A viewing will be held from 9:30 - 10:30 AM prior to the services.

Interment is at Farmington City Cemetery, 200 East 500 South, Farmington, Utah.