Kathleen Bronson Behunin July 14, 1941 ~ November 28, 2022

Kathleen Bronson Behunin was born on July 14, 1941 in Preston, ID, the oldest of three, to Ruby Virginia Jensen and Warren Fletcher Bronson while Warren was working in Alaska. After he returned, he moved the family to Monticello, his home town.
Kathleen attended school in Monticello through the fifth grade, at which time she contracted Rheumatic Fever. She spent the better part of a year in Primary Children’s Hospital, and as the result of that illness, dealt with residual health issues throughout the rest of her life.
The family moved to Blanding after doctors advised them a lower elevation would be better for Kathleen’s health. She attended San Juan High School where she was a member of the Pep Club and participated in school plays.
She graduated from San Juan High School in 1960 and moved to St. George where she attended Dixie Junior College.
It was there she met her first husband, Penn Harris Smith. After a brief marriage, the couple divorced and Kathleen moved back to Blanding, where Lisa was born in 1962.
Kathleen and Lisa moved to Provo, UT while she attended Brigham Young University. They moved back to Blanding in 1975, and in 1977 she met and married her second husband, Kerry Irwin Behunin.
They had a son Clinton, in 1978. Kathleen and Kerry divorced in 1990, and she remained single for the rest of her life.
In 2007, Kathleen retired after 24 years with the State of Utah Department of Workforce Services, where she was an eligibility specialist, and later a supervisor.
Kathleen raised two children on her own, and did it with determination and humor. She sacrificed her own interests to focus on Lisa and Clint, encouraging them to pursue their dreams and instilling in them a curiosity of the world around them.
Kathleen wanted to be a ballerina when she was a little girl. She loved the ballet, music, the arts, and nature and she passed this love onto her children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren.
She was a performer and recording artist who performed throughout her life, including in recent years. She was also a prolific writer, writing countless poems and personal notes up to her final days.
In 2019, Kathleen was able to meet her birth daughter, Julie. It was a joyful occasion having all three of her children together.
Kathleen is survived by her three children Lisa Rarick (Randy), Clint Behunin (Greg Shearer), Julie Varner (Mark), grandchildren Ryan Rarick, Kyle Rarick, Gwenyth Behunin, Vivian Behunin, Grant Behunin and Brandon Varner, and great-grandson Riley Varner.
She is survived by her brothers Stanley Bronson (MaryAnn) and Steven Bronson (Pamela).
She is proceeded in death by her parents, Warren and Ruby Bronson and granddaughter Heather Rarick.
Card of Thanks
Words cannot express the gratitude we have for the many acts of love and service our family has received over the last week. We are truly humbled by the outpouring of support, the expression of condolences, prayers, and for the many meals that were so lovingly prepared for our families.
Kathleen loved this community and the good people of San Juan County. Thank you to the many medical professionals who took such good care of her, especially in her final years and days.
We express our sincere gratitude to you all and hope you will continue to join us in remembering and celebrating the life and legacy left by our beloved mother, grandmother, aunt and friend.
Lisa & Randy Rarick family
Clint & Greg Behunin family

San Juan Record

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