Jonathan (Jon) Daniel Mott was born March 11, 1968, in Spokane, Washington to Glenn and Colleen Mott. He lived in Spokane until his senior year of high school when he moved to Lindon, Utah and graduated from Pleasant Grove High School. That move was crucial for him, although he did not know it, Kim started high school that year as a sophomore. Spoiler Alert ***(They did not meet in high school-he was way too cool for her , he was in P.U.) He started attending Brigham Young University before serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Japan Kobe Mission from 1987-1989.

When Jon returned from his mission, he finally met the beautiful woman, Kim Southam, who became his forever girlfriend on August 15, 1989, their first date. On that date, they felt like they'd known each other forever. They were married on November 22, 1989, in the Salt Lake City Temple. In 1990 they welcomed their son, Alex Mott, and 1992 Vallerie joined their family before moving to Oklahoma for Jon to complete his PhD in Political Science. While in Oklahoma, they welcomed two more daughters, Stephanie, and Emilie. Shortly after Emilie's birth, the Mott crew moved back to Utah and added Mikey McClain to their clan. Their home was a constant place of refuge for friends, family, and anyone who needed a safe place to be. All are welcome here.

Jon was a professor at BYU and a political scientist at heart, always up for a good debate on policy, power, and how to fix a broken system. That same fire fueled his workforce development work, a pioneer in ed tech who built real career pathways with tribal nations and communities too often passed over. He rarely worked without music playing (mostly 80's new wave), wore his love of purple like a badge of honor, and treated every cause he believed in like it was personal, because to Jon, it always was.

Jon was known for being warm, eccentric, humble (ish) , generous, creative, kind, and so much more. He served as a bishop and high counselor, was involved in political activism, and loved working with startups and began his own, Aspire Ability. He cared deeply for his family; he spent many hours making sure his kids and grandkids knew how much they meant to him and how much they were loved. He loved music (80 alternative rock primarily) but evolved with the times and would always be looking for more artists to listen to. He also loved art, photography, dogs, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Dr. Who, Harry Potter (Gryffindor of course), Brandon Sanderson, and was a self-proclaimed geek of all varieties.

Jon was joyfully reunited with his parents Glenn and Colleen, brother-in-law Brad Simon, and nephews Scotty Ford and Adam Mott on August 3, 2026; as well as, his beloved St. Bernards, Gimli, Strider, and Zorba. His legacy lives on in his wife of 37 years, the love of his life, Kim, their children Alex (Catherine), Michael McClain, Vallerie (Brenda), Stephanie DeHart (James), and Emilie Broadhead (Jacob); their six grandchildren (with the youngest always wanting umppa more than umpma), Jon's siblings, Terry (Lisa), Darcy (Jo), Greg (Marlene), Denise, Joe (Ellen), Cindy Alldredge (Jody), Aaron (Teresa), Lisa Ford (Derin), and Judy Simon (Brad).

A song from Jon to Kim to commemorate their 37th wedding anniversary.

Click below.

Jon's time with us was way too short. It's been unbelievable to see how many lives he has touched in his 58 years of life. If you were with him, he shared his genuine love, gave unconditional kindness, demonstrated how to bridge gaps and how we can treat others with these positive attributes. Everyone who has been touched by his goodness will remain forever in our hearts. He will be missed daily, hourly, and every second.

"If you can't run, you walk.

If you can't walk, crawl.

If you can't do that… then find someone to carry you"

– Malcolm Reynolds, Firefly

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, August 10, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 608 West 1400 South in Payson, Utah. Visitation will be prior from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the church. There will also be visitation on Sunday, August 9, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Walker Funeral Home, 587 South 100 West, Payson, Utah. Interment will be in Payson City Cemetery, 400 North 800 East, Payson, Utah.