Dennis Utley

Dennis T. Utley passed away peacefully with family by his side January 9, 2025, in Tooele, Utah. He was born October 3, 1944, to A. Thad Utley and Verna Faye Black Utley in Fillmore, Utah.

When Dennis was 9 years old, his family moved to Salt Lake City. He graduated from Olympus High School in 1962, earned a B.S. in business administration at the University of Phoenix in 1988, and earned his MBA from the University of Utah in 1991. He was selected as a Dean’s Scholar in the Graduate School of Business at the University.

He worked as a regional sales manager for Wells Distributing for 15 years and then worked as general sales manager for Ryan Distributing for 6 years. He left that employment to work for Epson America as a senior major account representative for 18 years. During his 39-year career, he received many awards and honors for his excellent sales performance. With his work, he and Sue were fortunate to travel all over the world.

Dennis excelled in whatever he pursued. He had many hobbies and talents throughout his life, including amateur radio in which he held the highest license available (extra-class), golfing, scuba diving, sailing, flying high performance gliders and small aircraft, photography, writing, and skiing (he served on the Bogus Basin ski patrol in Boise, Idaho for 8 years). Dennis was adventuresome and also loved anything electronic.

He married Mary Sue Walles in 1963, and they had five children: Debra, Barbara, JoAnn, Jonathan, and Brian. During the 61 years of their marriage in mortality they lived in Utah, Idaho, Colorado and California. Dennis was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in several callings including Sunday School teacher, Emergency Preparedness leader, High Councilman, and counselor in the Bishopric.

Dennis was preceded in death by his son, Brian, his parents, his two cherished stepmothers: Sylvia and Barbara, two grandsons Alex and Spencer, one great-granddaughter Marsali Melissa, sister-in-law Chris, and his beloved Aunt Mary, who passed just recently at age 96 (she was like a second mother to Dennis and his siblings). He is survived by his wife, Sue, four children: Debra (Scott) Stephenson, Barbara (James) McConnell, JoAnn (David) Clonts, and Jon (Andrea) Utley, 29 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren, brother, Vernon (Jen) Utley, sister, Jan (Gary) Turpin, and many nieces and nephews.

A funeral to honor his life will be held Friday, January 17 at 11 a.m. with a viewing prior from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. at the Maple Hills Chapel located at 691 E. Cedarview Street, Tooele, Utah. Interment will be at Memorial Lakeside Cemetery, 1640 Lakeview Drive, Bountiful, Utah. We extend our deepest gratitude to Our House Memory Care in Tooele, and Atlas Hospice for the excellent care they provided Dennis during the past year.

A livestream will be available for those unable to attend of his obituary page at tatemortuary.com