Margie Rae Dunn

Born as Margie Rae Smith, our sweet and courageous mother, sister, wife, and friend to everyone, passed away in the early morning hours of January 8th 2026 after a lengthy battle with several major health conditions.

A little daddy’s girl, Margie came into this world on the first day of the year in 1962. She was the first baby born in Salt Lake that year and because of this unique distinction, she and her family were awarded several fruitful prizes, including a year’s supply of diapers.

Margie was an outgoing child and would create countless rich memories of the adventures she went on while growing up in the Kearns neighborhood. The stories of her experiences and the people that she knew from her youth captivated and delighted everyone when she would look back and fondly remember, so much that many often urged her to write a book about her life for all to enjoy.

As Margie grew, it became clear that she was a physically gifted young lady and she utilized her strength to become a talented gymnast. Later, she developed a deep love of horses, and she found personal reward in owning and raising her beloved Bogus. Margie enjoyed softball, playing both organized games as well as laid back and fun matches with family and friends. She took great pride in her skill and she would tell you that she was the best first baseman around. She also discovered a deep love for dancing, which would become another life-long passion of hers, after being taught by her first husband, Alan “Rocky” Proctor, later divorced.

Margie pursued a fulfilling career in data processing and she worked with several prominent companies in Utah, such as the USDA Forest Service and the Department of Motor Vehicles. It was through this journey that she witnessed and participated in the birth of the information age.

The next chapter brought Fred Dunn into her life, who she married on February 27th 1987, and together they raised two beautiful daughters, Whitney Raye and Cydney Ellen. Margie and Fred shared a close and profound friendship for the remainder of her life.

On October 7th 2000, Margie suffered a tragic accident at her home that would significantly alter the course of her life. She had crushed her neck in a serious fall and in order to save her life, the doctors and surgeons at the University of Utah Hospital quickly devised a radical surgery. Her family was later informed that she had made medical history for the miracle of her survival.

As a result of her accident, her health progressively worsened and her daughter Cydney became her full-time caregiver and companion. She lived the next twenty-five years in severe pain, facing every single day with courage, determination, and unrivaled strength. Though her disability betrayed her extraordinary spirit, our Margie never quit. She did not carry within her just a spark, but instead a blazing fire that would inspire every person that had the privilege of knowing her.

We do not know what life will bring now without our dear Margie, but we will live by her example of strength and determination. Her family takes deep comfort in knowing that she is now in a better place, free of all of her pain and physical limitations.

Margie is preceded in death by her father and mother, George Ray and Amy LaRue.

She is survived by her older sisters, Vera, Dawn, Joan, and her younger siblings, twins Darlene and Louis; daughters Whitney and Cydney; and ex-husband and friend, Fred.

The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and kind staff at Lakeview Hospital, for working so hard to keep Margie comfortable, and full of Coca-Cola as she faced such difficult health challenges over the years.

The family would also like to thank Selene and Brad of Rocky Mountain Care, whose professionalism, friendship, and personal care most certainly provided Margie with strength, comfort, and dignity in helping Cydney honor Margie’s wish to remain at home.

Finally, the family would especially like to extend their thanks to Dr. Darrel S. Brodke, MD, for saving Margie’s life in 2000. It is because of his incredibly sharp sense of ingenuity and his consummate mastery of his profession that we were able to enjoy the privilege of having Margie around for another twenty-five years.

A celebration of Margie’s life will be held for family and friends at a later date in the spring.