Eric Bjarnson

Eric Bjarnson, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend passed away on the morning of Wednesday, March 5, 2025 in his home in Moroni, Utah, unexpectedly succumbing to influenza and pneumonia. He was 76 years old. He was born August 24, 1948 to Donald Einar Bjarnson and Grace Grube Bjarnson, the third of eight children. He is survived by three brothers and two sisters, his beloved wife Dianne, nine of their ten children, 28 grandchildren, and 7 great grandchildren.

Eric participated in track and field throughout his life. He was especially skilled in the shot put and discus events, and continued training and throwing through 2024, taking part in the Huntsman Senior World Games in St. George every summer. He won gold or silver medals in both events each year he participated. He also loved celebrating the accomplishments of younger athletes. He would spend hours watching YouTube videos of track and field and Olympic events, marveling at the young men and women who broke world records and achieved new heights of athletic prowess. He also loved to celebrate the successes of BYU sports teams, both men and women. His last day with us was spent listening to commentators and watching highlights of BYU basketball games.

From 1967-1969, Eric served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Finland. There he met his future wife Dianne where they first sang together. At that time she questioned if he had a serious bone in his body. Soon after Eric returned, they were married and sealed in the Los Angeles, California temple.

In 1981, Eric received his PhD in Uralic Altaic Studies and linguistics. He was known for his incredible gift and proficiency with languages. At one time he could speak and read over a dozen different languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Hungarian, and Russian. His wife claimed that he could spend 6 months in a country and speak as fluently as a native. After graduating, he went on to work for Altnet and Novell in the localization and translation department.

While working at Novell, Eric felt inspired to go back to school to pursue a degree in counseling. He went on to help many people with personal struggles and was always a source of insight and wisdom. He was passionate about personality typing, especially the Meyers Briggs and Kiersey personality inventories.

Eric was also known for his incredible tenor voice. He sang with his family growing up, as well as with his own children. He acted as agent and manager for his children’s singing group, dubbed the B-J Clan. He also loved to act, performing at the Sundance Summer Theatre, as well as at the Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City.

Eric was passionate about genealogy work and was known for his zeal for family history. Above all, Eric was a devout follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ. He wrote several books on gospel doctrine. He was especially known for his unconditional love and the service he gave to others. He was dearly loved by his family and friends and will be greatly, greatly missed.

A memorial service will take place on Saturday, March 15 at 11 am at the Wales chapel, 92 S 200 W, Wales Utah, with a luncheon to follow. All are welcome.