Teru Ann McPhie

Teru Ann McPhie (Miyashima)
9/6/1956 ~ 3/19/2012
Teru Ann McPhie (Miyashima) passed away unexpectedly Mon., March 19, at her home in Sandy, UT.
The daughter of Ann McPhie and Joseph Collins, Teru was born in Moultrie, GA, on Sept. 6, 1956. She and her mother later moved to Los Angeles. As a child, Teru traveled the world with her mother. They spent extended time in Egypt, India, and Japan, and lived in Australia for four years before returning to California.
Teru loved to dance and began her professional training at an early age. After graduating from Aviation High School in Redondo Beach, CA, in 1974, she moved to New York to pursue her career. She landed the role of Cat Woman in a traveling production and was a featured dancer in numerous productions in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
She also enjoyed acting and had roles in several television series and movies including The A-Team, Hunter, Crazy Like a Fox, First and 10, The Wizard of Time and Speed, and others. One of her favorite roles was working as a Magician's Assistant in Las Vegas.
She married Joey Miyashima on Sept. 3, 1988, in Los Angeles. Together they moved to Holladay, UT, in 1994.
In addition to dancing and acting, Teru loved to travel, to paint, and to write, but most of all she loved her three beautiful daughters, Mika, 21, Kimi, 20, and Mitsu, 16. They were her pride and her joy.
She is survived by her three daughters, ex-husband, Joey, and in-laws Hisa Shiba and Lance Hays, all of Sandy, her aunt and uncle, Jane and Herb Thornton of Naples, FL, and cousins Ronnie and Claudia.
Teru will be remembered by her family and friends as one of the most generous, creative, talented, and free spirited women who ever lived. We will never forget her awesome sense of humor and her love of life.
Teru was a joyful volunteer and championed numerous causes including those dedicated to education, literacy, homelessness, poverty, and gay rights.
In Celebration of her Life, dust off your dancing shoes and bring your favorite Teru stories to the Hidden Valley Country Club, 11820 South Highland Dr. in Sandy, on Sat., April 7, at 7 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Waterford School Scholarship Fund, 1480 East 9400 South, Sandy, UT 84093, or to the charity of your choice.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.larkincares.com.