John Burke Poulson

John Burke Poulson passed away December 30th, 2016 at his home surrounded by his family. He was 73 years young. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 7th, 1943. He was the middle of 5 children and was raised on Browning Avenue in Salt Lake City. He spent most of his adult life in Sandy, Utah and Evanston, Wyoming. He grew up playing baseball, fixing up cars, cruising State, and raising hell with his best friend, Dave Bradshaw. John (or "Bookie" as his friends knew him) attended South High School and joined the US Army in 1960 where he served 3 years in Germany. He married Sandra Butterfield on August 7th, 1966. He worked in the oil and gas industry most of his career. He loved antique cars, chocolate chip cookies, Folgers Coffee, Motown music, peppermint schnapps, and boxing. He could fix anything and did not believe in ever replacing anything that could still be repaired. Most of his life was spent working on various handyman projects as he never could sit still. He was patient, kind, and generous to a fault. He believed in quality over quantity, being a "straight shooter," and taking care of those he loved. He also firmly believed in treating everyone with respect and maintained his great sense of humor right up to the end. He loved the outdoors, especially Wyoming and the Uinta Mountains. He referred to hospitals, assisted living centers, and being stuck indoors as "jail." Before he died he told us that he had lived his life to the fullest, on his terms, and would die with no regrets.

He is survived by his daughter Amanda; grandchildren, Mckenna, Olivia, Ella, Aiden, and AJ. He is also survived by his brothers, Gary (Patty), Cal (Kathy); his sister in law, Paula Poulson; his best friend of 65 years, Dave Bradshaw, and by many nieces, nephews, and friends. Preceded in death by his constant companion, his Chocolate Lab, Dexter; his parents, Rex and Merle Poulson; his brother, Doug Poulson; his sister, Darlene Riddle; and his previous spouse, Sandy. Special thank you to Scott Gleason, Miguel Herrera, and the amazing staff of First Choice Home Health and Hospice (especially Heather Larsen, Carley Kenworthy, and Wayne Hull) for their phenomenal care. In lieu of flowers or gifts please consider making a donation to Primary Children's Medical Center in his name as he loved babies and children. Please come celebrate his life and share memories with us on Saturday, January 7th, 2017, at 5:00 pm at his daughter's home. It was his request to be cremated. Call 801-792-1861 for address.