Carl Wayne Jensen

With great sadness in our hearts we announce that our family hero, Carl Wayne Jensen, age 77, successfully changed his address Wednesday, January 15, 2020, in Midvale, Utah after a 53 year journey battling Multiple Sclerosis. He is now free from the effects of M.S. to "run" with his loved ones in heaven. It was his heart that finally took him after surviving nine other heart attacks.

Carl was born October 13, 1942 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Wilford Leroy Jensen and Esther Johanna Hyte. He married Joyce C. Clarke on September 6, 1963 in the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah.

He graduated May 1960 from Jordan High School, Sandy, Utah. Before graduating he joined the Utah National Guard on March 8, 1960. On July 31, 1960 he boarded a train and headed for basic training in Fort Ord, Monterey Bay, California. After six months at Fort Ord he went to Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas and became a Medic. His next Army adventure was in Fort Benning, Georgia and he became a Paratrooper. Once returning to Salt Lake he was in the 144th Evacuation Hospital Unit stationed at Fort Douglas, Utah. Ending his Army stint he was assigned as a chef at Camp Williams Officer Training School and due to his M.S. he resigned from service February 28, 1968.

Once he was back home in Salt Lake City, Utah he applied for a position at Mountain Bell Telephone Company and worked for them as a Lineman, Cable Splicer, Cable Conduit Inspector, and ended his 33 year telephone career as a Cable Maintenance Administrator. His family was proud of him when he received a day off with pay because his coworkers crowned him "Mr. Congeniality." He always had a smile on his face and didn't allow the M.S. to change who he truly was, a happy content loving caring person. Throughout his career at Ma Bell he received and completed several other trainings and awards. He loved his job and enjoyed working with awesome people.

As a young boy he decided to start his own business and told his parents that he wanted to catch worms in their acre yard and sell them to people going fishing. They lived on Highland Drive around 50th South and he knew he would have a lot of people in need of worms being that close to the canyons. He wanted to call this business "Educated Worms" because he knew they would help people catch fish. So, his loving parents helped him open up his business and his Mom painted a sign of a worm wearing a top hat depicting a very smart worm to put out front of their house. He sold thousands of worms and was very successful.

Carl was a hard worker and loved working and tried anything. He finished our basement in our first home, did all the house repairs, car maintenance, etc. He was a "Jack of all trades" until the M.S. left issues with his body. It was so fortunate that he worked for the telephone company because if he had a job that was difficult or dangerous for him physically they would transfer him to a job that was safer and something he could do well.

Carl was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He held many positions in the Church. A few of his favorites were Elders Quorum Counselor, Cub Scout Master (he loved hosting the pinewood derby's), and most memorable to him was when he filled in for the Scout Master and went with the Scouts to East Fork of the Bear Scout Camp in the Uintah Mountains. He wasn't too steady on his feet and used a cane to walk. The boy scouts learned a valuable lesson in that camp by assisting Carl up and down mountain trails. All the boys were extremely helpful and awesome with him. He loved them dearly.

He loved bowling, hunting, fishing, snow and water skiing, and camping. So, in 1969 we bought a little camping trailer and went camping all over the Utah Mountains, Yellowstone, Montana, and Flaming Gorge, Wyoming. We loved Flaming Gorge so in 1972 we sold our trailer and bought a truck, camper and a boat. Flaming Gorge became our "home away from home" and we went up there as often as we could. Carl was a neat and tidy man and every evening when we brought the boat off the lake he would wipe "Betsey" down with towels making sure she'd be shining for the following day. He had a very special way of setting the hook into a fish and his method soon became known as "The Jensen Jerk." He would filet all the fish and everyone enjoyed the fish fries he made possible. He was loved and respected by many people and everywhere we went he saw people he knew and loved visiting with them.

Carl was a very proud Husband, Dad, Papa, Grandpa, Papa Jens, and Papa Great. He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Joyce; two sons, Wayne and Clarke Jensen; daughter, Dolonna (Danny) Benzon; ten grandchildren, Zac (Chelsea) Jensen, MacKenzie Jensen, James Carl Jensen and Bentley Jensen, Joshua Caroon, Nick Benzon and Kylie Benzon, Kelsey Jensen (Caleb) Aston, Colton Jensen and Connor Jensen; six great-grandchildren, Kristen and Lily Jensen, Melody Aston, Marisha, Sophia and Jensen Jensen; brother, Wilford Eugene Jensen; nephew, Randy (Kasey) Jensen, and many wonderful cousins.

Preceded in death by his parents, Wilford and Esther (Hyte) Jensen; grandparents, Carl Wilford and Martha (Torgersen) Jensen, Willem and Hester (Boode) Hyte; in-laws, Thomas and Antonia (Dubbeld) Clarke, and Harold Draper.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 24, 2020 at 12:00 PM, with a visitation at 11:00 AM at Goff Mortuary, 8090 South State, Midvale, UT. Interment, Larkin Cemetery, 1950 E 10600 S, Sandy, UT.