Terril Mortensen

Terril Dean Mortensen passed away October 25, 2020 at his home in Orem, Utah. His death was unexpected, but he passed peacefully in his sleep of natural causes.

Terril was born August 16, 1956 in Blythe, California to Jerry Dean Mortensen and Phylis Joy Haynie Mortensen. He was their third child and second son. His older brother, Roger, died in infancy before Terril was born. He regretted not ever knowing Roger but proudly took on the role of big brother to the siblings who came after him.

Terril was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many capacities throughout his life. He especially enjoyed working with the youth and was universally loved by those he served. When he served in leadership positions, he was most happy when he could invite himself to youth classes and activities. In his youth, 1976-78, he served a fulltime mission for the Church in southern Chile.

Terril spent his growing-up years on the family farm just outside Blythe. He loved working the land from his childhood on, alongside his father and siblings, and learned early on that “hoeing cotton” meant ridding the cottonfield of weeds rather than the tender cotton plants. He graduated from Palo Verde High School in Blythe in 1974 then continued his studies at Brigham Young University where he earned a BS in Agri-Business. The family farm was sold shortly after he finished school and Terril worked for the new owners for 2 years before deciding it just wasn’t as satisfying to work for someone else. He took his young family to Utah in 1983 and was able to draw on the business side of his degree as he worked alongside family over the years to expand the various businesses they worked in together. Most of that time was spent in Orem, Utah with the family living 2 of those years in Gilbert, Arizona.

Terril met Kristina Kearsley in the fall of 1979 when they were in the same church ward while they both were attending BYU and soon devised a plan of “stealth dating” to win her affections. She eventually caught on and they were married the following spring, April 19, 1980 in the Idaho Falls, Idaho temple. Children soon joined their union and they ended up with a quiver full of five. Family was extremely important to Terril. He worked hard to provide for his, but family time was just as important and just as regular as his work outside the home.
Terril was quite physically active until an infection caused an abscess in his spine which left him with severe pain and some disability due to the trauma to his spinal cord. After several weeks healing in the hospital, he worked hard to gain back some of the function he lost. The effects of that damage and the natural effects of aging challenged him further in the last couple of years. Those who were aware of his challenges admired his uncomplaining spirit and determination to do what he could to serve others. The infection came very close to taking him at that time, so the family considers the past 20 years as bonus time spent with their husband, father, and brother.

Terril is survived by his wife, Kristina; his five children and their spouses: Beth (Kyle) Jensen, Roger (Sara) Mortensen, Richard (Heidi) Mortensen, Erin (Spencer) Lundell, and Jacob (Melinda) Mortensen; thirteen grandchildren; and five siblings: Kathleen (Larry) Arnett, Joyce (DeWayne) Erdmann, Diane (Johnny) McCoy, Mary (Maurice) Mason, and Grant Mortensen. Preceding him in death are both his parents and his brother, Roger Jerry Mortensen.

The family welcomes all visitors on Sunday evening from 5:00 – 8:00 pm at the Orchard 3rd Ward, 810 East 600 North, Orem. Services will be by invitation only on Monday, November 2, all are invited to watch via a live broadcast of the service starting at 1pm and is available online by visiting https://youtu.be/jI41w71J5u0. Interment will be in the Orem City Cemetery.