Colleen England

Colleen England, born July 17, 1937, in Hiawatha, Utah, passed away peacefully in Tooele, Utah on Nov. 29, 2025 at the age of 88. Colleen left behind a legacy of love, service, and devotion to family. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Gary England, her parents Lyle and Rheta Burdick, and her older sisters Pat and Shirley Anne.

Colleen grew up in the coal mining communities of Carbon County, where she learned the values of hard work, resilience, and family unity. Her childhood was filled with community and family. She grew up in a home filled with music and storytelling, singing with her father during car rides and around campfires. She carried this love of music throughout her life, and she had a song to sing for every occasion.

When her sister Shirley Anne died at age 12 following a car accident, Colleen's family endured great grief. Through this tragedy, she learned the importance of family support, resilience, and gospel perspective. Despite these hardships, her family remained close-knit, creating cherished memories through camping trips, fishing expeditions to Oregon, and clamming on beaches; traditions Colleen would fondly talk about with her own family.

After graduating from high school, Colleen pursued her education at Brigham Young University, where she was asked to be one of the first dancers in the prestigious BYU folk dance group led by the renowned Mary Bee Jensen. She also attended beauty school to contribute to her future family's income. After meeting Gary at BYU and marrying in the Salt Lake Temple on Dec. 18, 1958, they built a beautiful life in Tooele, Utah, where Colleen often joked she would never sing the Tooele High School song, "We are here to stay until we die, forever and forever in Tooele." Recently she conceded, "I lived forever in Tooele, and now I'm going to die in Tooele." She came to love it dearly, and to the end would tell everyone, "You could only be so lucky to live in a place called Tooele."

A natural educator and entrepreneur, Colleen operated a popular preschool from her home for many years, including teaching children of those she taught previously. Parents sought out her program because she was a dedicated teacher helping many young children learn to read before kindergarten. She later worked for 20 years as a travel agent, drawing on her extensive worldwide travels to help others plan their journeys. She also managed rental properties with great compassion, often helping struggling tenants through difficult times without collecting rent until they could get back on their feet.

Colleen was deeply committed to her faith and community and was a natural leader. She served as Relief Society president, Primary president, and co-founded a fine arts group that met for many decades. She was also very social, always looking for an opportunity to interact with others, including her beloved bridge group that created lifelong friendships. She and Gary also served a three-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, where they welcomed visitors from around the world. Her most treasured moments were hearing others talk about the love they felt from their visit.

Above all, Colleen treasured her family. Her fondest memories were time spent traveling the world with Gary, trips with family to Disneyland, and years of fishing at Jackson Lake. She took every opportunity to bring the family together. She tackled events and challenging tasks with energy and made things happen–she was a doer. She believed deeply in putting family first, living the gospel of Jesus Christ, and celebrating holidays together. Her legacy of kindness, loyalty, and unwavering devotion to family will continue through generations to come.

She is survived by her children: Brad (Kathy) England, Michelle (Larry) Hawker, Jeff (Linda) England, and Tyler (Nicole) England; 16 grandchildren (plus 10 grandchildren-in-law); and 29 great-grandchildren.

A viewing will be held Tuesday, Dec. 9th from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Tooele Stake Center in Tooele, 253 S. 200 East, Tooele, Utah. The funeral will be held Wednesday, Dec 10th at 11 a.m., with a viewing from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., also at the Tooele Stake Center, with interment to follow at the Tooele City Cemetery.

Online condolences and memories may be shared at DaltonHoopes.com.