John Bovee Dods

Our beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and friend, John Bovee Dods, 85, passed away peacefully March 5, 2026.

John was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 2, 1940, to William Bovee Dods III and Zada Lucinda Hofheins Dods. He was the third of four children and was raised in Salt Lake City where he attended South High School. He served in the United States Air Force from February of 1958 to June of 1961 as a Morse Code Intercept Operator and was mostly stationed in Japan.

After his military service John married Bonnie Pearson in November of 1962 in Moab, Utah. Bonnie had three children who became John’s stepchildren, Deborah Nielson, Shane Udell and Eddie Udell. Together John and Bonnie had a daughter, Johnnie (Gidget) Bovee Dods. John loved and helped raise all four children as his own. John and Bonnie later divorced.

He attended college in California at both Mount San Antonio and Bakersfield Colleges. He also attended the University of Utah where he excelled in and developed a love for art.

Throughout his life John was employed in many different occupations. He was an iron worker, a home builder, a real-estate broker, and he spent over 20 years as a master craftsman and painter at the University of Utah Hospital. After retiring from the University Hospital, John worked as a driver for the Utah Center for the Blind and later as a crossing guard in St. George, Utah. These two part-time jobs brought him great joy, and he even earned a special award from the Utah Center for the Blind for his dedication and compassion for those he served.

It was while working at the University Hospital that John met Judy, who became his loving wife of over 33 years. John and Judy Ann Davis were married in Salt Lake City, Utah on February 26, 1987. When they first married, they lived in Magna, Utah, and later moved to Stansbury Park, Utah. In 2010 they moved to St. George, Utah where they spent the remainder of their lives.

When John and Judy married, he added five new stepchildren and two grandchildren to his life. He quickly became a beloved member of the family and was a favorite of all the grandchildren. Since then, their family has grown to include 62 children and grandchildren, all of whom adored “Grandpa Dods” and will always remember his happy and contagious laugh and witty sense of humor.

John loved to read and was especially fond of science fiction and Louis L’Amour books. He enjoyed riding his motorcycle and was an avid learner, spending many hours on his computer. He used his skills to help many family members with home projects and was willing to help tackle any challenge. One of his admirable qualities was he never put off projects that needed to be done. Once he put his mind to something, he didn’t stop until it was complete.

John was faithful and devoted to Judy and worked hard to make her happy until she passed away in October of 2020. He spent the last five years of her life providing patient and loving care and was willing to do what was needed to make her comfortable. Thank you, John, we are forever grateful for everything you did for our family.

John is survived by his stepchildren, Deborah Nielson, Trina (Rob) McCleary, Debbie (Dave) Barnett, Troy Rowley, Rich (Duane) Peterson, and stepdaughter-in-law Sung Eun Rowley; 35 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Judy Ann Dods, his siblings Louise Bovee Dods, William Bovee Dods, and Paul Bovee Dods, his daughter Gidget, and his stepchildren Shane Udell, Eddie Udell, and Scott Rowley.

Funeral services will be Friday, March 13, 2026, at 12:00 pm in the West Jordan Utah River Stake Center located at 1380 West 6785 South, West Jordan, Utah. A viewing will be held one hour prior to the Funeral Services at the same location. Interment will be at the Mountain View Memorial Estates Cemetery located at 3115 East Bengal Blvd, Cottonwood Heights, Utah.