M. Kent Christopherson Obituary

M. Kent Christopherson was born April 9, 1937, at the Crane Maternity Hospital in Provo, Utah. He passed away peacefully on September 22, 2026, in St. George, Utah, surrounded by his loving family.

Kent grew up at the Provo Airport, where his parents, Lucile W. and Merrill D. Christopherson, founded and operated Provo Flying Service from 1940 to 1961. There, Kent learned the value of hard work, earned his Eagle Scout, and developed a deep passion for aviation. He achieved his private pilot license at age 15—before he had a driver's license—and went on to earn his Commercial, Flight Instructor, Instrument, and Multi-engine ratings by age 23.

During this time, he attended Utah State University and Brigham Young University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting. He also served a 2½-year mission in Oslo, Norway for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, feeling right at home with his Norwegian heritage. Kent also served in the Utah National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve as a helicopter mechanic.

In 1963, he married his sweetheart, Diana J. Barton from Burbank, California, in the Los Angeles Temple. For the first year of their marriage, they lived in Long Beach, California, commuting over 200 miles a day as they began their respective careers. They returned to Utah to operate a flight school on an old dirt runway in Draper that overlooked the Salt Lake Valley. In 1967, they moved the operation to another "dirt strip" on 21st South (near the current Salt Lake International Airport).

As Kent and Diana's family grew, Kent decided to further his education and received his law degree from the University of Utah in 1974. To fund this endeavor Kent bought and sold airplanes and taught flying lessons, while Diana taught school. He went on to become a founding partner of Richards, Brandt, Miller, and Nelson Law Firm in Salt Lake City.

Kent continued to fly and teach on weekends, soloing countless pilots and logging thousands of hours in the air. In 1987, Kent and Diana moved to St. George, Utah, where he combined his love for aviation with his legal expertise specializing in aviation law and flying for SkyWest.

In retirement, he traveled extensively with Diana, spent summers in Kolob, and read a library's worth of books. Guided by his motto, "Fly high and fly fast,” Kent loved skiing straight down any snow-covered hill, ran 10+ marathons, and motorcycled across the country. He was proud to serve as a member of the Utah Travel Commission and the Murray Rotary Club of Utah.

Kent was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, his sister (Mary), brother-in-law (Max), and granddaughter (Megan). He is survived by his wife, Diana Christopherson; three daughters, Kathy Dansie (Chad), Karen Anderson (James), and Lori Brown (James); 10 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; his sister, Ann Calder (Jim); and his brother, Robert Christopherson (Lynda).

The family extends a special thank you to the incredible caregivers at Southern Utah Veterans Home in Ivins, Utah and Dixie Home Health & Hospice for guidance and comfort care.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please share your favorite memories and stories of “The Great MKC” below.