Kent Staheli

H. Kent Staheli
(1929-2024)

Harvey Kent Staheli passed away on January 11, 2024, in his home in Provo, Utah at the age of 94 years.

Kent was born on May 21, 1929 to Harvey Rulon Staheli and Letha Hegsted Taylor in Provo, Utah where he lived for the duration of his childhood. After graduating from Brigham Young High School and attending one year at Brigham Young University, Kent went with his family to London where he enrolled in pre-med courses at Kingston Technical College. Following his return from England to Provo, Kent continued at BYU where he played on its tennis team and went on to complete a Bachelors of Arts degree in Chemistry with the intention of going to medical school.

During these years most young men were being drafted into military service due to the Korean War. Kent deferred his service in the military while he attended medical school at the University of Utah, and, though the draft had ended while he was in school, he joined the US Army after becoming a Medical Doctor. During his military service he was put in charge of the Pediatric department in Bremerhaven, West Germany.

Upon an honorable discharge from the US Army, Kent joined the medical staff at the Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA where he completed his general surgery residency. While in Oakland, Kent met and married Lauralee Fawson in December 30, 1958. Upon the completion of residency, Kent and his small family moved to Pocatello, Idaho (Lauralee’s hometown), where he practiced as a general surgeon for over 30 years and, with Lauralee, raised three children.

Kent’s life was characterized by hard work, success in his chosen profession, and participation in civic and church organizations. While in Pocatello, he served as President of the Idaho Medical Association, Bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and President of the Gate City Rotary Club. In his spare time, he enjoyed racquetball and tennis, outdoor recreational activities such as skiing, fishing and hunting, and world travel with his wife Lauralee and children. After concluding his medical practice in Pocatello in 1985, Kent was accepted to Harvard University’s School of Public Health and completed his Master’s Degree there in 1987. Kent and Lauralee moved to Salt Lake City in the late 1980s and Kent worked as a surgeon and hospital administrator at FHP until his retirement in 1994.

Kent was a fierce competitor on the tennis court and loved playing card games with friends and family. In tennis, he participated in and won tournaments all over the states of Idaho and Utah, competing with his wife in mixed doubles as well as singles.

Following his retirement, Kent and Lauralee lived for many years in the Olympus Cove area of Salt Lake City and in Washington, Utah. During this time, Kent served on numerous advisory boards and received the Distinguished Service Award from the Utah Medical Association for his work in the “Straight Talk” program, teaching hundreds of youth about the facts of alcohol, tobacco and drug use. In 1994, Kent and Lauralee accepted a mission call from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to serve as a medical advisor to 21 missions in five South American countries, stationed in Quito, Ecuador.

Kent survived the death of his wife, Lauralee, in 2021 and lived the remainder of his days in the Courtyard at Jamestown assisted living center in Provo. Kent is survived by his three children, Suzanne (Paul White)(Los Angeles, CA), Michael (Heidi Hales)(Parker, CO), and John (Pam Domanski)(Provo, UT), as well as eleven grandchildren. The family will celebrate Kent’s life in a memorial service at Nelson Family Mortuary, 4780 North University Avenue, Provo, on Saturday, January 27 at 2:00 pm. A visitation will be held immediately before, starting at 1:00 pm. A gravesite dedication will be held afterwards at East Lawn Cemetery, Provo.