Virginia Mae Briggs Semadeni

Virginia Mae Briggs Semadeni, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away peacefully on June 25, 2026, at the age of 84.

Virginia had a sparkle all her own and a true gift for making people feel loved. She is survived by her husband of sixty years, Lorenzo Henry “Hank” Semadeni; her children, Reta Margaret Semadeni Patterson (Tom), Matthew Briggs Semadeni (Kari), Marc Briggs Semadeni (Donna), Annalisa Semadeni Stewart (Greg), and Melinda Semadeni Dickson (Brandon); her 22 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; and her siblings, Keith Thorley Briggs, Richard Rasmussen Briggs, and Mary Ann Briggs Sanders.

She was born on May 22, 1942, in Greybull, Wyoming, to Ivan Richards Briggs and Reta Mary Rasmussen Briggs. She was the eighth of eleven children and grew up on a farm near Burlington, Wyoming.

Virginia loved music and generously shared her many musical gifts with others. She performed her first solo at church at three years old for the ward's Mother's Day program. She was a quick study at learning to play the piano and organ and was called to serve as a Primary organist at age eleven. She played the clarinet in high school band, district band festivals, and state competitions. She was awarded a superior rating for her performance of Micaëla’s aria in Bizet’s opera Carmen, earning her two college scholarships.

Virginia loved learning in school and throughout her life. Her younger siblings remembered that Virginia would often call them to “school” and organize them into a classroom where she was the teacher. She was active in music, FHA, pep club, journalism, band, choir, and student leadership. She was selected to represent her high school at Wyoming Girls State and graduated as valedictorian of Burlington High School in 1960.

Community service was also a hallmark in Virginia’s life. In her youth, she worked at the courthouse in Basin, the county seat for Big Horn County. Later in life, she served for many years as an election judge. Her love of America was evident as she enjoyed playing and singing patriotic songs, taught about United States history, and worked with her local camp and in-state leadership of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP).

At Brigham Young University, Virginia tried out for the A Cappella Choir under Newell Weight and was chosen as a freshman, an experience she called “a wonderful blessing.” She toured with the Program Bureau under Janie Thompson throughout Utah, California, and Nevada. She also traveled to Los Angeles with the choir to perform Bach's Magnificat under the direction of Crawford Gates. She worked her way through BYU with jobs at the BYU library and support from her parents.

Her love of words led her to major in English at BYU. She wrote poetry and music and contributed to the DUP songbook. She could always be counted on to help find the right turn of phrase. Her emphasis on correct grammar made English courses a breeze for her children. Her elegant penmanship and encouraging words were evident in each of the beautiful handwritten cards she shared with friends and family over the years.

Virginia met Lorenzo Henry “Hank” Semadeni in an introductory music class. He said she was the prettiest girl in the class, with her strawberry blond hair and a white dress with red polka dots. Their courtship began after graduation, and they were married by Elder Hugh B. Brown in the Salt Lake Temple on May 27, 1966, marking the beginning of 60 years of marriage. Virginia graduated from BYU with a degree in English and a minor in music. She later taught English at Springville High School.

Hank and Virginia's family grew quickly -- each child being born in a different city in Arizona, California, and Utah. In 1973, they settled in Farmington, Utah, where they became a vibrant part of the community for more than 50 years.

Virginia was a naturally intuitive mother who used her immense talents to make her home a haven and help her family navigate the ups and downs of life. She shared her love of great literature with her children and grandchildren. She also instilled in them a love of music, and each of them inherited a portion of Virginia’s voice. Virginia loved teaching voice and piano lessons in her home and reminded her students, “You don’t have to practice every day, only on the days you eat!” Her love for youth led her to recertify as a teacher, and she taught K-12 classes in the Davis County School District.

Of her many roles throughout life, her children agree that her greatest accomplishments came at home. She always had a story ready about the endurance of her pioneer ancestors. Her famous orange rolls were craved in anticipation of every holiday. When you entered her home, you felt loved, even before she knew you.

Virginia was a lifelong faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her innate warmth and ability to connect were a blessing in numerous callings in Young Women, Primary, Relief Society, and later in her service as a temple ordinance worker. Many of her callings were music-focused. She loved to play the organ at the Bountiful Utah Temple and left a legacy of singing and playing the organ at many funerals.

Beginning in 2008, Virginia and Hank served as full-time missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Palmyra, New York, “the cradle of the Restoration.” They later served in the Church Exhibits Division, helping with displays in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, and later, an assignment with the Church History Library working on the Rome, Italy Temple project. While serving in the Church History Library Acquisitions Division as senior service missionaries, they helped gather oral histories of the Church in Italy and located a rare 1852 Italian edition of the Book of Mormon.

Virginia loved to travel and enjoyed trips to special family sites in Europe. She also cherished traveling with her sweetheart to Hawaii, the Holy Land, and Mexico.

Virginia’s legacy of love and influence will live on with us “until we meet again.”

Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, Ivan Richards Briggs and Reta Mary Rasmussen Briggs, and by her siblings, Fenton Thorley Briggs, Garth Thorley Briggs, David Thorley Briggs, Marilyn Briggs Wardell, LouCiel Briggs Taggart, James Thorley Briggs and Ivan Rasmussen Briggs.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. at the Farmington South Stake Center, 695 S 200 E, Farmington, UT 84025. A viewing will be held prior to the service from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Interment will follow at the Farmington City Cemetery, 200 East 500 South, Farmington, Utah.

The family expresses heartfelt gratitude for the care Virginia received from Suncrest Hospice and the staff at Highland Glen, where she spent the last year and a half of her life. We express our appreciation and love for the prayers and support extended during this tender time.

Live Stream information for Virginia: https://zoom.us/j/95038576224?pwd=aUNKbE5oTnh1UnJzZEtZRkZ1cHpDQT09