Helen Jeanine Heusser Acomb

Our beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Helen Jeanine Heusser Acomb, passed away June 23, 2022.

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She was born to Henry Earl Heusser and Leona Erickson Heusser on March 2, 1932, in Salt Lake City, where she grew up with her siblings, Virginia and Henry Earl (Jay), Jr. Jeanine loved music. She started playing the piano as a young child and it quickly became her passion. After graduating from East High School, Jeanine pursued a Bachelor’s degree in music education at the University of Utah, and then taught choral music and home economics. On August 12, 1955, she married Kent MacKay Acomb. Together they have 3 children: Joyce (John) Larsen, Leslie (Tim) Schow, and Stanford Acomb; fourteen grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren.

Jeanine spent many years accompanying her husband in his Army career as an oral surgeon. They spent two tours of duty in Germany, taking advantage of the opportunities presented to travel throughout Europe with their children. During their first tour of duty, they welcomed their first child, Joyce; and their other two children, Leslie and Stanford, were born in West Point, New York. She and Kent taught their children that wherever they lived was the best place to be, and they were blessed to have so many opportunities to live all over the world. Kent and Jeanine continued to travel in retirement, and they especially enjoyed the cruises that took them to new and interesting places.

Jeanine inherited an interest in needlework from her mother and spent many pleasurable hours creating the beautiful stitching that filled her home. She also enjoyed belonging to groups of like-minded stitchers, and made friends and created beautiful needlework through The Embroiderer’s Guild of America and the American Needlepoint Guild. Feeling that homemaking arts were important, Jeanine taught her daughters to cook and to sew and to share her love of fine needlework. Her home was an expression of her love for beautiful things, and in every place the family lived Jeanine made it welcoming and beautiful with her skills at decorating.

She enjoyed music in various ways through her life and performed as a member of Sweet Adelines for many years. In retirement, Jeanine and Kent volunteered with the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition and were privileged to host the competition’s winner in their home in 1988.

Jeanine was a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She always seemed to be at a piano or organ and served for years in various musical positions.

She is survived by her children, thirteen of her grandchildren, and her 6 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband; parents; siblings; and her grandson, Stanford Mark Larsen. The family expresses their sincere gratitude to the staff of Legacy House in South Jordan and Aspire Hospice for their loving care during her final years.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 8th at 2 p.m. at Memorial Holladay-Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 S Highland Drive. A viewing will take place the evening before, Thursday, July 7th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.