William "Bill" Terburg

1William (Bill) Henry Terburg passed away peacefully on November 30, 2025, at the age of 79. Up until the very end, Bill maintained his kind, gentle, and grateful demeanor with everyone around him. True to his Dutch roots, he was also stubborn—and so he left on his own terms in the early morning hours. As the saying goes, “You can tell a Dutchman, but you can’t tell him much.”

Bill was born on April 29, 1946, in Miami, Florida, to Andries Terburg and Laura Susan (Clements) Terburg. His older brother, Andrew David, passed away shortly after birth, so Bill’s arrival brought tremendous joy to his family, especially to his three older sisters: Grietje, Mary Jo, and Marjorie.

Bill grew up in Homestead, Florida, where he loved spending time on the ocean—usually with a fishing pole in hand. His love of fishing stayed with him throughout his life.

At age 13, he was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, following in the footsteps of his sisters Grietje and Marjorie. He later served a mission for the Church in Holland, his father’s homeland. Bill remained a devoted follower of Jesus Christ throughout his life.

After returning from his mission, he enrolled at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. On February 27, 1970, he married the love of his life—“the most beautiful girl at the Y”—Rona (Ronalee Hill), in the Logan, Utah, LDS Temple. Rona often said he was the first boy she saw on campus, and Bill always remembered how much he liked her culottes.

A true penny pincher, Bill preferred doing things himself rather than paying someone else. With no prior experience in construction, he spent time observing workers at job sites and taught himself the basics. Those skills—and a lot of determination—helped him build a “castle” for his family in Farmington. There, he and Rona welcomed six children: Risa, Berendt (Bear), Mace, Holt, Heidi, and Samuel.

Bill and Rona loved taking their family on adventures—fishing, camping, and road trips all over the western United States. The kids fondly remember the familiar parental threat to “pull the van over” if they didn’t knock it off.

Bill spent much of his life worrying about the wellbeing of his children, as well as the people he met along the way. He always wanted to help those in need. It wasn’t unusual for Bill and Rona to pick up hitchhikers—even with a van full of kids.

Bill leaves behind a legacy of kindness and friendship.

He is preceded in death by his father, Andries; his mother, Laura Susan; his brother, Andrew David; his sisters, Grietje and Mary Jo (“I Know It!”); and his angel granddaughter, Molly.

He is survived by his wife of more than 55 years, Rona; his daughters Risa (Wayne) Baker and Heidi (Erhan Yilmaz) Terburg; and his sons Bear (Angie), Mace (Shauni), Holt (Lindy), and Sam. He is also survived by his beloved grandchildren: Sophie (Kaden), Conrad, Emily, Carrston, Rhett, Max, Tucker, Koen, Cash, Rockwell, Zoe, and Alexander.

The family extends its deepest gratitude to Hannah, Katie, Norma, William, Shanna, Lindsay, Catherine, and everyone at Aspire Hospice who cared for dad over the past year. They also wish to thank the kind staff at Country Care Assisted Living for their compassionate care of dad—and his family—during these last two months. Bryce and Tom, thank you for becoming such dear friends to our dad.

A viewing will be held on Thursday, December 4, from 6:00–8:00 PM at Russon Mortuary, 1941 N. Main Street in Farmington, Utah.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, December 5, at The Rock Church, 272 N. Main Street in Farmington, Utah. A brief viewing will take place from 9:30–10:30 AM, followed by funeral services at 11:00 AM, and then interment next to his sweet sister Mary Jo at the Farmington Cemetery, 500 S. 200 E., Farmington, Utah.

Please consider sharing any fond memories you have of Bill at his services.

Flowers and sympathy cards may be sent to the family at Russon Mortuary in Farmington.

A Zoom link has been provided by The Rock Church to stream the services: https://zoom.us/j/98132283931