John Merwin Embleton

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother, John Merwin Embleton Sr. left this earthly life on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, to return to his Heavenly Father after a valiant battle against brain cancer. John was 62 and born in Salt Lake City to Charles Warner and Betty Louise Merwin Embleton on September 17, 1957.

During his life on earth, John lived and served in many different cities and states; which includes spending his high school years in Santa Rosa, California and serving a two-year mission in Texas for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a young man. This spirit of diligent service would follow him throughout the rest of his life. He received a Bachelor of Science from Utah State University and a master’s degree in Safety and Security from Eastern Kentucky University. At the time of his death he was working on his Doctorate Degree in Occupational Psychology. In his career, John worked for Shell Oil, Bridgestone/Firestone, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Agri-Fab, and Honeywell Aerospace.

John’s church influenced every aspect of his being, and he continually showed a love of spreading the gospel and of providing Christlike aid. He served in various leadership positions within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and especially loved working with the youth. These qualities were evident in his pastimes; John was an avid genealogist and enjoyed helping others with their family history--one of his many accomplishments includes a 500-page book of personal family history that encompasses many of the trials his family overcame and the blessings they constantly received. He loved camping and the outdoors. He was also a LEGO Master Builder, with well over one million Lego in his collection and he always had the time to talk to youth groups about his hobbies and education. His children recall fondly that he was always there to listen and provide invaluable advice, often with a comforting hug and a joking reminder of, “I’m there for you, man.” He inspired and supported his family’s creativity in art, storytelling, and music at every turn. His own creativity was a constant joy and many who knew him may fondly recall the way he sang songs in a beautiful baritone, though often with mismatched or even made-up lyrics. Your family loves and misses you, John. You will always be remembered.


John is survived by his wife of thirty-seven years, Caroline Sevy Embleton, his children; John Jr. (Mikele), Peter Jacob (Raelyn) and Jayce Embleton, his three grandchildren, and his siblings; Charles (Amy) Embleton, William (Donna) Embleton, Elizabeth (Mike) Smith and Ruth Embleton.


As per John’s wishes, a memorial will be held later in the year when it is safe for family and friends to gather and celebrate his life. If you would like to be notified by email about the memorial when more information is available, please contact Caroline at jmembletonmemorial@gmail.com


In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in memoriam to the missionary fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which can be found at https://philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org/missionary