John Allan Clegg, 72, died April 1, 2026 in Cedar City, Utah of acute respiratory failure. He was born August 30, 1953 in Tooele, Utah, to Blanche Cox Clegg and Allan V. Clegg, and grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah and Bunkerville, Nevada.
John graduated from Virgin Valley High School in Mesquite, Nevada, and later attended Fresno City College in Fresno California, where he earned a Certificate in Alcoholism Counseling. Over the years he worked as an electrician’s assistant, a bartender, a carpenter and roofer on construction crews, and worked on a seismic survey crew in Nevada.
His own life struggles (and his appreciation for the help he received from others) led John to help people in similar situations, and he worked as a Volunteer Fellowship Assistant at Poverello House in Fresno California, where he also volunteered for The Fresno Adult Literacy program and Tree Fresno. Later in his life, John trained and was certified by the Utah State Department of Human Services as a Peer Support Specialist and was one of the first Volunteer Peer Support Specialists for Oasis House at Southwest Behavioral Health Center, Cedar City, Utah, where he was instrumental in developing the current peer counseling program. A staff member described John’s work there as helping to “pave the way for the successful program we see today.”
John loved music, fishing and camping in both deserts and mountains, drawing, nature photography, writing, artistic wood carving, and hatching butterflies in his apartment. He was active in Cedar City Rocks, creating beautiful, hand drawn art on small rocks and leaving them in public places for others to find, and for the last few decades of his life, John always carried a bag of glass marbles with him, giving one to anyone he thought needed a smile.
John is survived by five siblings and four brothers in law: Corrinne Clegg Hales, John Hales, Jackie Nielson, Jack Stokes, Stephen Clegg, Marian Biasi, Richard Biasi, Valerie Clegg Marmon and Gill Marmon. He is also survived by nineteen nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother Peter M. Clegg.
A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Final arrangements are under the direction of Southern Utah Mortuary. To share online condolences, please visit www.mortuary.org.