Carolyn Ruth Snyder Downey

Carolyn Ruth Snyder Downey, 94, passed away peacefully on June 10, 2026. 

Carolyn was born August 15, 1931, in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, to Clyde Beryl Snyder and Mildred Ruth Crider. She spent her youth in Scottsbluff and Riverton, Wyoming, graduating from Riverton High School in 1949. 

She married James Chapin Downey on March 17, 1951, in Lander, Wyoming. Together they built a loving home and shared more than 62 years of marriage until Jim's passing in 2013. Carolyn later married Leland Flint on May 24, 2014. 

Carolyn earned her degree in Secondary Education from Utah State University and devoted her life to teaching. She taught in Utah and Washington before moving to Idaho in 1969. In 1972, she joined the faculty of Ricks College, where she taught and chaired the Business Department for many 24 years. She earned a Master's Degree from Utah State University in 1980, and was honored with the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1988. Her students remained a treasured part of her life long after graduation. 

A devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1962, Carolyn served faithfully in numerous callings, including Relief Society President, Stake Young Women President, music leader, organist, choir director, and family history consultant. She and her husband served as the first directors of the six-stake Rexburg Family History Center and later served in the Rigby Family History Center and the Idaho Falls Temple. 

Carolyn loved family history and genealogy and spent countless hours researching her ancestors. She also enjoyed reading, playing the piano, baking homemade bread, and gathering family and friends in her home. 

She was preceded in death by her husbands, James Chapin Downey and Leland Flint; her parents; and her sister, Eleanor E. Snyder Popham. 

Carolyn is survived by her children, Cheryl L. Tennant (Mike) of Fruita, Colorado; Barbara L. Derricott (Kent) of Highland, Utah; Ralph M. Downey (Diane Hansen) of Pueblo West, Colorado; and Brian W. Downey (Danette Hathaway) of Rexburg, Idaho; 22 grandchildren; 67 great-grandchildren; and her brother, Charles Bernard Snyder of Arvada, Colorado. 

Funeral services will be held Saturday June 20, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sundance Building, 602 Sundance Drive, Rigby, Idaho. A viewing will be held at 2:00 p.m., followed by services at 3:00 p.m. Interment will be in the Rigby Pioneer Cemetery. 

Carolyn will be remembered for her unwavering faith, dedication to education, love of family, and lifelong commitment to serving others.