Susan Marie Locke

Susan Marie Locke passed peacefully in her sleep, in her home, on April 17th, 2024, after receiving a diagnosis of terminal brain cancer on February 24th of this year.

Susan was born in Logan, Utah on October 10, 1950, to Grant & Eva (Whitby) Lamb.  She had three older siblings who have always been examples of strength, love, and fun. She has countless memories and experiences with them, Keith, Myrna, & David.

She grew up in Spanish Fork where she attended elementary, middle, and high school.  She made lifelong friends there that have blessed her life to this day. While attending BYU she met David Payne and they were married in 1972. She graduated with a teaching degree that same year. 

She went on to teach preschool, special needs preschool, and first grade. Teaching was such a large part of her life. She had a passion for teaching and worked diligently to give each of the students her best. In 2017 she was a Jordan School District Educator of the Year.

David and Susan settled in North Salt Lake. There they started their family. Clayton and Kenny were adopted through LDS family services, followed by Kellee and Nelson through private adoptions.  Susan made lifelong friends in North Salt Lake and everyone cherishes the cul-de-sac where her children were raised. 

David and Susan divorced and she moved the family to North Ogden in 1997 where she spent ten wonderful years getting Kellee and Nelson through their schooling. Shortly after her kids left home, she felt the need to be closer to her widowed mother, so she moved to Riverton. 

This has been her home for the past 17 years. She spent these years with her kids and grandkids, digging in her garden, building friendships with those in her neighborhood, serving missions, and serving in the temple. She loved this time in her life.

Susan was a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. She may be remembered most for her creative, consistent, Christlike ministering efforts. Often, we would come to visit and she would talk about her ‘new friend’. This meant she had found someone in need and had gone to work helping them feel our Savior’s love. Her solution to most of life’s trials was to serve someone. 

In 2018, she served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the temple in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. She cherished her time with the Tongan people and serving in their temple. When the COVID-19 pandemic brought her home a few months early, she quickly returned to serving weekly in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. She was most recently serving as Shift Coordinator each Saturday night.

Susan always had a smile on her face and found the good in every situation. She made everyone around her feel loved, including those who were hard to love. Her favorite place to be was with her children and grandchildren, gathered in her home. She’d greet each of them with a hug and a kiss on their cheek.

She loved BYU, sunshine, Diet Pepsi, her garden, and naps!

She is survived by her children Clayton Payne, Kenny Payne, Kellee Orrock (Bryce Orrock), Nelson Payne (Robyn Payne), her nine grandchildren Kambree Orrock, Myka Orrock, Brooks Orrock, Hayes Orrock, Kiarra Payne, Grant Payne, Cal Payne, Maycee Payne, and Parker Payne, her brother Keith Lamb (Zona Lamb), sister Myrna Tolley (Lynn Tolley), and brother David Lamb (Patti Lamb).

Her children wish to thank all those who helped with her care, brightened her days with visits, brought meals or gifts, sent treats or flowers, and prayed for Susan.  It was evident she was deeply loved by many.  

Funeral services will be held Friday, April 26, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 4501 W 11800 S, Riverton, UT with interment to follow at the Spanish Fork City Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the place of the service on Thursday, April 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and the day of the service one-hour prior.