Karl J. Swensen

1943 - 2022

1943 ~ 2022

Karl Jones Swensen passed away peacefully in the company of his wife and sons on March 5, 2022, from congestive heart failure. He was 78.

Karl was born on September 22, 1943, to Carl L. and Ruth J. Swensen. He and his younger sister, Esther, grew up in Salt Lake City. They were nurtured by their grandparents, Andrew and Sivilla Jones, who lived in the same home.

Karl graduated from West High School, and from the University of Utah with both a BA in Music Education and an MBA.

Karl loved music from an early age. A pianist, organist, and rich bass vocalist, he learned to read music as well as play by ear. He enjoyed singing in a quartet, the U of U Acapella Choir and Madrigals. He joined the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square as its youngest member, and served there for 20 years. He performed with three neighbors in an eight-hand piano quartet, and serenaded the family regularly.

Karl served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1962-64, when he was called to the East Central States Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and spent much of his time working in the hollers of Appalachia. He also did missionary work in Vietnam during his service from 1967-69, while assigned to the Army's 459th Signal Battalion and the 22nd Finance Division. The May, 1971, issue of the New Era published missionary excerpts from Karl's Vietnam diary. Later in life, he and Virginia served together at the Lindon Bishop's Storehouse as well as the Provo Resource Center where they helped immigrants learn English and life skills. Other church service opportunities included being in a Sunday School superintendency at age 17, serving as a ward and stake clerk, executive secretary, gospel doctrine teacher, choir conductor, organist, and temple preparation teacher.

On March 20, 1970, Karl married Virginia Ellis in the Salt Lake Temple. They were blessed with two sons eight years apart: Steven Paul in 1971 and Richard James in 1979. Karl took tremendous joy in his sons and eventually in his 11 grandchildren.

After years of using his MBA working in Human Resources, Karl became a career job search coach for OCM/Lee Hecht Harrison. He was actively involved in HRACU (Human Resource Association of Central Utah) and served in several leadership positions. He helped hundreds of individuals find better jobs after being laid off.

Those who knew Karl enjoyed his keen sense of humor, his remarkable memory for detail, and his lifelong passion for family history work. He spent thousands of hours at his computer searching for ancestors when he couldn't sleep, and loved to share his "how to" knowledge of family history work with neighbors. He also cared deeply for the living, making diligent regular visits to his mom and his Aunt Maola for the time they were in a care center, writing letters to his kids and nieces and nephews, and even compiling a family newsletter for Virginia's family for many years.

On August 20, 1993, while on a Tabernacle Choir trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Karl suffered his first V-tach. That day began his 28-year journey with congestive heart failure. He often expressed gratitude for the cardiologists who had extended his life, and made the most of his "extra" 28 years.

Karl is survived by his wife, Virginia, sons Steven (Emily Mabey) and Rick (Amber McAllister), sister, Esther (Hull), and 10 of 11 grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at the Cascade 5th Ward LDS Church at 1051 E 200 N, Orem, Utah, on Saturday, March 12, at 11:00 a.m. The family will greet visitors at viewings Friday evening, March 11, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, March 12, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the same location. Interment will be in the Bountiful City Cemetery, 2224 S 200 W, Saturday at 2:30 to 3:00 p.m.

The funeral will be streamed by Utah Valley Mortuary of Lindon, Utah, at the following link: https://my.gather.app/remember/karl-swensen