Tayva Patch: Mormon Actress

Tayva Rhoton Patch was known as an actress on stage and in film, and had an artistic flair that influenced other areas of her life.

She was born on February 18, 1953, in Winslow, Arizona. She studied at Brigham Young University where she met her husband, Brian. Together they had four children. Also at BYU, she received the Outstanding Character Actress Award in 1992 and the Outstanding Film Actress Award in 1993 and 1995.

She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and began auditioning for Latter-day Saint films and other projects in 1995. Up to that point, she had appeared solely in theater.

She played the FBI agent Meredith in Brigham City, Mary Magdalene in Testaments, and played Lucy Mack Smith in several Church films, including Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration, Praise to the Man, and Emma Smith: My Story. She also appeared in Return with Honor, The Home Teachers, Out of Step, Not in This Town, Little Secrets, and Friends for Life.

She had an eye for architecture and design, including costuming, which she often performed for stage productions.

She passed away on November 21, 2015.