Michelle Evans Fujinami, 53, passed away peacefully at her home in Houston, TX April 8, 2021 following an 8-year battle with metastatic breast cancer. Michelle was strength personified, inspiring all she met with her positivity and steely grace. Born November 8, 1967 in Salt Lake City, UT to Vernal Ray and Karen Dykes Evans, the second of ten children, who all quickly learned to not try to wake a sleeping Michelle. Childhood camping trips, monthly visits to the library, dance parties in the living room, and family outings to Taylorsville Park established Michelle’s love for the outdoors, reading, music, and sports that carried into adulthood. Go Steelers. Hiking the National Parks of Southern Utah, exploring the San Juan Islands, playing dominos in Denali National Park, or enjoying a glass of wine at sunset on Oregon’s Cannon Beach was Michelle’s heaven on earth.

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A 1986 graduate of Taylorsville High School, Michelle earned a legal secretary degree from SLCC and built valued friendships with colleagues at American Stores and Huntsman Corp. in her career as a paralegal.

Michelle married the love and light of her life, Derek Fujinami, in September 1989. Together, they created beautiful, laughter filled homes with lovely flower gardens housing their art fair treasures. In the last year of her life, Michelle found great comfort spending time in the magically healing space of her dream backyard pool oasis. Michelle’s family and friends were her life’s fortune. No distance was too far for Michelle to travel to cheer for and support those she loved. We will forever miss her contagious laugh and warm hugs. Those who know and love Michelle will see her in every blooming iris and hear her in every Chris Cornell song.

Reunited in death with her beloved parents, father-in-law Aki, and her fur babies. Michelle is survived by husband Derek; siblings Cassie Brewster (Paul), Natalie Jenkins (Dave), Melinda Evans, Tamera Wesemann (Randy), Bryan Evans (Sara), Debbie Killpack (Jason), Denice Ashcroft (Trevor), Trent Evans (Natalie), Megan Smith (Cody); mother-in-law Jane Fujinami; sister-in-law Cindi Argyle (Bob); and a host of loving nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and lifelong friends.

A celebration of Michelle’s life will be held at Redwood Memorial Funeral Home, 6500 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville on Saturday, July 3, 10am. Ashes to be interred at Memorial Redwood Mortuary and Cemetery.

For those unable to attend the services, Memorial Mortuaries and Cemeteries are offering a livestreaming of the funeral service on Zoom. Please see the following instructions for how to log in during the

Joining by computer

• Go to zoom.us in any internet browser

• Click “Join Meeting”

• Enter the meeting ID – 8012981564

• A box will open saying “https://zoom.us wants to open this application”. Click “Open Zoom”

• Click “Join with Computer Audio”

• Click “Mute” in the bottom left hand corner so that your audio does not interrupt the funeral service

Joining by phone or iPad

• Download the Zoom app

• Open the app and select “Join a Meeting”

• Enter the meeting ID – 8012981564

• Select “Join without Audio”

• Select “Call using Internet Audio”

• Select “Mute” in the bottom left hand corner so that your audio does not interrupt the funeral service