Barbara Jean Smoot Behunin

Barbara Jean Smoot Behunin, 93, of Arvada, Colorado, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her children on the morning of November 30, 2025 at 8:32 am. Barbara was a cherished mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. Her presence will be so deeply missed.

Up until the very end Barbara maintained her kindness, grace, compassion, love of family and friends and expressed gratitude for her long life, full of joy and wonderful and varied experiences.

Barbara was born February 26, 1932 in Cedar City, UT to Marvel Arthur and Perry Smoot. She moved with her parents to Salt Lake City where Barbara grew up and went to school. Her parents divorced when she was four, and from that moment on, it was just Barbara and her mom. They never owned a car and walked every place they went.

Summers were spent with Barbara’s maternal grandparents while she was out of school. Her grandma Florence Sawyer Arthur would come take care of her for weeks at a time during the winter months so her mom could work. It is from her Grandma Flo where Barbara learned to crochet, embroider, sew, can food and how to stretch a dollar. But Barbara Jean got her love of animals from her grandpa Bob Arthur who brought every stray animal home.

Growing up in view of the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Barbara’s community of school friends involved her in all their religious activity-nights for youth. She grew to love the music of the Church. When she was 12, Barbara’s family supported her decision to become a member of the Church and she was baptized in the Salt Lake City Temple.

School was second-nature to Barbara, especially the sciences. She was gifted with numbers, plus the public library was her favorite place, a place where she became a voracious reader. It was no real surprise that Barbara graduated from high school at the top of her class. While she and her mother lived on a limited budget, Barbara’s natural affinity for education earned her scholarships to the University of Utah in Nursing.

In August 1951, she met Gage Behunin while skating at a roller rink where Gage worked. Although she thought he was handsome, it was Gage’s skill at skating backwards and partner-dancing on skates that really won her over. But Gage’s work ethic and self-employment as an accomplished mason was definitely a game-changer for Barbara. On March 23, 1953, Barbara and Gage were married (aka: sealed) in the Salt Lake Temple.

A month after marriage, Gage headed to the military service, leaving Barbara back home to live with her mother while she finished her schooling. It was no surprise that Barbara graduated top of her nursing class with highest honors. That accolade and trust led to Barbara’s leadership in teaching other nurses until she and Gage moved to Fort Lewis (close to Tacoma, Washington).

Military service eventually posted Gage in Desert Rock, Nevada for atomic bomb testing while Barabara finished school in Utah. Later, completing their military enlistment at Camp Carson, Colorado Springs (March 21, 1955). Despite their distance and continued efforts to save enough money, Barbara and Gage had three children along the way: Michelle, Tanya and Don. With their young family and a $14,000 loan in 1959, they started construction on their dream house, doing all the work themselves except for the wiring. This is the home Barbara and Gage lived in the rest of their lives; 65 years for Barbara.

Barbara was a woman of faith. She and Gage were pioneers in Arvada and pioneers in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Together, they helped to voluntarily build the new Church building(s) for the community and raise enough money to make a welcome place of worship, all while she continued working as a full-time nurse at the local hospital. With so much responsibility, Barbara finally left full-time work to become a full-time mom, a position she considered the most challenging of all jobs, and yet, the most rewarding.

Barbara’s busy hands canned everything, clipped coupons, sewed children’s clothes, and always stretched the dollar. She was not extravagant. She saved money, and sometimes without Gage’s knowledge, came to the family’s rescue with emergency-fund savings she had squirreled away.

A large family was always Barbara’s dream, but that didn’t come easy. She and Gage had three children in 50’s, only one in the 60’s (Lori Anne) and two in the 70’s, Robert Alvin Arthur and Mark Devin.

Friends came easy to Barbara. She accepted everyone exactly as they were, and through her example, they wanted to better—like her. Three life-long friends were like sisters, Marilyn Hammond, Penny Burnet and Trish Dozbaba. They were so close, in fact, that these dear friends all moved into the neighborhood, near Barbara where they remained like family their entire lives.

A natural love for ballroom dancing and square dancing, Barbara was also one of the best outdoorsmen in the family. She loved to fish, go hunting and ride dirt bikes; she was always game for adventure. Always expanding her interests and curiosity, Barbara came to love the theater. She and her mother had season tickets to the old Elitch Gardens and then to the Denver Center of Performing Arts.

Animals were a big part of Barbara’s life. Because of her natural affinity for medicine, she became the neighborhood veterinarian, as well as the de-facto nurse practitioner for all the kids in the community, mending scrapes and cuts and unexpected accidents.

As ambitious and creative as Gage was in business, always beginning new start-up construction and development projects, Barbara took on the role of the “finisher,” the one who stayed behind to dot the i’s and cross the t’s. It was she who consistently helped to manage and/or complete the monumental innovations which Gage had initiated. It was her discipline and perseverance that helped them overcome obstacles and reach the end. Together they were a great team.

Barbara is survived by her six children: Michelle McDonald, Arvada, CO; Tanya Ball, West Hills, CA; Don Behunin, St. George, UT; Lori Boyd, Arvada, CO; Robert Behunin, Arvada, CO; and Mark Behunin, Arvada, CO; 27 grandchildren and 35 great grandchildren; Barbara’s sister in-law, Enola Dangerfield of Rome, GA and lifelong friend/self-proclaimed sister, Penny Burnett. She was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 55 years, Gage Behunin, and grandsons Nathan Don Behunin and Taylor Vaughn Ball.

A celebration of Barbara’s life will be held at Horan and McConaty, 7577 W. 80th Ave, Arvada CO, at 6-8:00 pm on Wednesday, Dec 10, 2025.

A Funeral service for Barbara will be at 11:00 am on Thursday, Dec 11, 2025, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7080 Independence St, Arvada, CO. The family invites all who knew and loved Barbara to attend and share their favorite memories.

Burial will be at 1:00pm at the Arvada Cemetery.