Juanita Kay Worthington Sadler

Juanita Kay Worthington Sadler, 77, returned home to her Heavenly Father July 30, 2022 surrounded by her family. Nita’s mischievous smile, encouraging words, service, love, and care will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Nita was born March 19, 1945 the third of three children born to Doris Mable Stradley and Merl Ison Worthington in Murray, Utah. She grew up in a house next to her grandma and grandpa Stradley’s farm in the Fort Union area where she loved to roam the fields with her brothers, Larry and Elvin. One of their many adventures led to a big pile of pig manure and their dad had to wait for their mom to clean them off before he could punish them for the mess they made. She attended church with her grandparents each Sunday and looked forward to the weekly stop at the hamburger stand on the way home.

Nita graduated from Jordan High School and attended BYU before serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Far East mission. She loved to share her experiences in Hong Kong and The Philippines with her family. Those experiences deepened her love of the gospel and taught her how to study and teach what she learned, two of her favorite activities.  

She married Keith Sadler on November 15, 1968 and raised five children, Cindy, Brook, Aaron, Sam, and Debi in their home on Karma Avenue in West Valley City. She loved her children dearly, sewing school clothes and Christmas pajamas, and sharing her love of the gospel, good books, John Wayne movies, and musicals with them. She loved holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Halloween, and took every opportunity to share family traditions. She spent hours decorating and preparing to entertain anyone and everyone that came to the door. There was always room for one more place at the table. Her family always knew there would be plenty of Ebleskiver, Bulgogi, chicken rolls, or cinnamon rolls and no one left her home hungry. One of her favorite past times was sitting with her family talking, listening, and wanting to know about everyone and everything. She enjoyed painting and spent hours putting together scrapbooks for each member of her family - those paintings and scrapbooks are some of her family’s most cherished possessions. She loved spending time with her children and grandchildren, especially going up the canyon for a cookout, the hot pots in Midway, walking along the beach on the Oregon coast, or making some of the best homemade ice cream around.

Nita loved to serve and looked for any and every opportunity to cook, clean, or simply sit and talk. She served in the Primary, Relief Society, and Young Women’s, but found her greatest joy in serving as Gospel Doctrine teacher. She spent hours studying and preparing each week so she could share her testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ.

Nita finally completed her degree at BYU in 1988 and worked hard to help support her family as a waitress while attending school and later in various positions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Nita and Keith left their longtime home in West Valley in 2014 and moved to Lehi. She quickly settled into her new home and made wonderful new friends. Sadly, it was at about this time that she began her long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Despite her struggles she continued to look for ways to love and serve those around her by sitting with, talking to, and sharing a joke with the other residents of the Covington Senior Living Center in Lehi.

Nita is survived by her five children, Cindy Gull (Alan), Brook Schaefermeyer (Scott), Aaron Sadler (Pam), Sam Sadler (Jerri), and Debi Earle (Edward); her former husband, Keith Sadler; 18 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild; half-brother, Bill Wilburn (Joan); and too many beloved Worthington, Stradley, and Sadler family members to name.

We would like to thank the wonderful staff at the Covington Senior Living Center in Lehi for the love, kindness, and care they shared with Nita as she faced the challenges of the last few years. Everyone at Covington became part of her family.

Graveside services will be held 10 a.m. Thursday, August 4, 2022 at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 E. 10600 S. A celebration of Life will be held 12:30 p.m. Thursday, August 4, 2022 at Westland 2nd Ward, 7171 S. 2700 W.  West Jordan, Utah 84084.