Karyl Walton Obituary

Karyl Jean Walton

1929 ~ 2025

Karyl Jean Lamont Walton passed away peacefully at her home in Salt Lake City on August 1, 2025. She was the only child of Robert M. Lamont, Jr and Lucille Jane Petersen Lamont born December 16, 1929 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

She attended East High School and graduated in 1947. She then received her B.A. in social work with a minor in anthropology at the University of Utah in 1951. She was a member of Lambda Delta Sigma in 1948-49 and Phi Mu sororities in 1950-51 and she also became Phi Mu's president. She was also a member of the Rifle Club in both high school and college. She worked for LDS Relief Society social services as an adoption and foster care caseworker until 1956 when she decided to go back to school and get her masters degree in social work. During this time she worked with the 2nd District Juvenile court as a probation officer. She received her Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree in 1957.

On April 17, 1958 she married Kent Leon Walton in the Salt Lake Temple and were married until his death in 2017.

In 1962 she left the court and they decided to start a family. She started working for Family Service Society as a psychiatric social worker in Youth Service. She helped develop the Head Start program in 1965 in Utah. She worked there from 1962-1969. In 1970 she decided to go into private practice with doctors and other social workers. She remained active until she retired to care for mother in the late 1990's. During her active time she was a member of the National Association of Social Workers as a member of the state committee of licensure and recertification. She was a board director of the 3rd Avenue Community Center. Also she was volunteering in various community, church, social services and organizations. She also did pretrial consulting, lectured and taught continuing education classes. She liked teaching her colleagues but loved teaching the kids. It didn't matter what age she had a great connection with children. Many of whom she taught were still in contact with her up to her death.

With all this she suffered through chronic pain most of her life but you'd never know it with her kind attitude and great smile. She got some well deserved relief from the debilitating pain with the great staff at the University of Utah Pain Clinic and we wanted to thank them for their help the last decades of her life. Also those doctors and staff that helped with her sight with the macular degeneration. Thanks to Salt Lake County Aging Services and to the staff at Inspiration Hospice for their kindness and wonderful work. With all this she proved her toughness that she's always had but hidden. It showed right up the end with her 5 year fight with a rare terminal cancer.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Kent Leon Walton and granddaughter Sidra Jane Riehle. Survived by children Kirk Lamont Walton, Kristopher Leon Walton (Sarasue), Katie Lynne Walton Riehle (Robertson), 14 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

An informal celebration of her life will be held at the LDS meeting house in the cultural hall on Saturday, August 9, 2025 from 12:30pm-2:30pm. Located at 3640 East Millstream Lane (3510 South), Salt Lake City, UT 84109. We would like to hear your stories and be able for others to listen.

The streaming link will be on Zoom.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9186173577?omn=84161882543

She will be buried at Larkin Sunset Lawn in Salt Lake City.

In lieu of flowers, it was her wish to ask that you would donate money to the Shriners Children's Hospital of Salt Lake City or any worthwhile children's charity of your choice. -