Layne Brady Obituary (1961 - 2015)

It has been said that not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. Layne was born to Mary and Jerry Brady on January 14th, 1961. He passed away on March 24th, 2015, suddenly and too early, of a pulmonary embolism. He was the second oldest son, with 7 siblings... Cory, Hoyt, Shane, JaNae, Heidi, Rona, and Jon. The Brady's were a tight family, and Layne truly enjoyed the company of his siblings, and the close bond they had for one another. Layne was a missionary in the Sendai Japan mission in 1979-1981, and had many inspiring experiences there that left a great impression on him, and influenced and enriched his life. Layne was an artist from the beginning, and knew what he wanted from a young age. He attended BYU, SLCC, and received a degree in Fine Art from Utah State University. As much artistic talent as Layne possessed, his greatest masterpiece was his family. Layne was first and foremost, a husband and father. He loved his children, more than anything in the world. Kelsey and Chris Koonce, Shalise and Shawn Swenson, Cassandra and Jake Hansen, Spencer, and Sterling. He loved his wife, Nannette, completely. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple June 7th, 1985. And have spent 30 wonderful and joyous years together. His children were lucky to have him work at home, in his studio. They have fond memories of spending time with their Dad while he worked. Much of that time was spent laughing, talking, and singing. Layne loved music. He had a broad range of musical tastes, from classic rock, to classical, to Broadway musicals, and country. In addition to his skills with the paintbrush, Layne taught himself to play just about every stringed instrument there is. He played the guitar, the banjo, the mandolin, and many others. There was a lot of love, laughter, and funny movie lines quoted in that studio above the garage, a place that will be ever remembered and loved by his family. Layne was an artist's artist. There was no medium that he did not master. He was skilled and versatile in anything he tried. His artwork is in homes all over the world in every single state and six countries. He had art in galleries all over the western United States. One of his greatest accomplishments was painting for Project Compassion. He painted portraits of fallen soldiers from the Iraq war – sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands and fathers – and presented them to their families at no cost. Layne painted over a eleven-hundred portraits for our service men and woman. One cannot help but gain a depth of soul after painting that many of God's fallen children, and Layne had that. Layne was also an accomplished sculptor and wood carver. One of his works, of Absolum Smith, the founder of Draper, Utah, where Layne has lived for 19 years, sits prominently in bronze in Draper's Historic Park. Layne also sculpted a very accurate portrayal of Joseph Smith and the First Vision. It seemed there was no depth to what Layne could not accomplish as an artist, including designing and building an award winning float for the Days of '47 Parade in Salt Lake City. His art also presented him with hazardous duty, where once a corvette hit him while painting a mural in Oregon. It would take volumes of ink and paper to list the artistic accomplishments of Layne Brady. Layne was a man of faith. A longtime member of the South Mountain 4th ward, Layne knew how to serve, and to serve without question, often at personal sacrifice. He loved the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Layne spent much time with the youth, successfully helping along over ten boys to their Eagle Scout award including his two sons. He was a man quick to pray, whether it was lost car keys in the woods, or praying for his children, he knew where to turn for help and peace. Layne was not only a gentleman, he was a gentle man. He was quiet, soft spoken, and preferred the simple things in life. He loved to laugh, quietly, in a jolly way. He shied away from attention, and was quick to shrug off any compliments about his talents. It is telling that he never painted a self-portrait. The hands that could delicately paint a sunset over a Tuscan farmhouse, could also carve intricate pieces from wood, remodel and finish his basement, and bless his children in their time of need. We believe and have faith that we will see Layne again, according to the plan designed by Heavenly Father. But until then, we will greatly miss our renaissance man, our husband, father, brother, son, and friend, Layne Brady. All funeral services will be held at Jenkins-Soffe South Valley located at: 1007 W. South Jordan Pkwy South Jordan, UT 84095 A public viewing will be held on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 2:00pm, with an additional public viewing beginning at 12:30pm In lieu of flowers, we ask that if you own an original painting of Layne's, please contact Nannette at nannettebrady@gmail.com. She would like to display them at the services. To assist with final expenses, a support fund has been established in Layne's honor and any donations may submitted to "The Layne Brady Memorial Fund" at any America First Credit Union. Funeral Services for Layne Brady will be webcasted and can be watched live by scrolling down to the "Video" section of this obituary. The webcast will begin at 1:30 PM MST on Thursday, April 2nd. For help or questions regarding the webcast please contact Jenkins-Soffe Funeral Home. Funeral Home: Jenkins-Soffe South Valley 1007 W. South Jordan Pkwy. South Jordan, UT 84095