Ylonda Thorson

Ylonda Gae Hiss Thorson
April 14, 1963 – August 24, 2023

With loving family members beside her, Ylonda took her final breath on Thursday, August 24, at Country Care Assisted Living in Farmington, Utah. She was the daughter of Yvonne and Frederick Hiss, who had been delighted to welcome her to the world on Easter Sunday, April 14, 1963.

Ylonda grew up in Tooele, Utah. She was the sixth of eight children and was close to her siblings throughout her life. She attended Tooele High School, where she excelled in school, became a student body officer, and immersed herself in extracurricular activities. One notable activity was theatre, for which she won several state competition awards and was recognized as Best Actress for her role in the play, The Crucible.

Ylonda harbored a lifelong love of music. She was an accomplished pianist who was especially skilled at sight reading and was highly sought after as accompanist. In addition to the piano, Ylonda taught herself to play guitar. She enjoyed singing and had a lovely alto voice. With her high school friends, she became a founding member of Shelestials, a triple trio singing group. At Snow College, she was a member of LD Singers.

Ylonda earned her associate degree from Snow College, then attended Utah State University where she studied accounting and information systems. She enjoyed a career as an accountant and office manager, first for Flying J and finally at Bonneville Communications. In her late forties, she married Kent Thorson. The couple were later divorced.

Ylonda was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1990 at the age of 27. Her symptoms escalated quickly, and for most of her life, she struggled with health challenges which became progressively more severe through the years.

During this time, she found solace in her family and especially cherished her role as aunt to her many nieces and nephews. When Ylonda was no longer able to play music, she discovered a talent for crochet, and she enjoyed designing and creating useful items for herself and as gifts for others.

Ylonda is survived by her sisters Kari Sagers, Becki Young, Nanci Olsen, Cami Rozanas, and their respective spouses, and sister-in-law Leigh Ann Hiss. She was preceded in death by her parents, Frederick and Yvonne Hiss, and her siblings Lexi Hiss, Kennen Hiss, and Vonni Davies.

Services for Ylonda will take place on Friday, September 1, 2023, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Tooele Third Ward Meetinghouse, 141 West Utah Avenue, Tooele Utah, 84074. A viewing will be held at 11:30 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 1:00 p.m. Ylonda will be interred in the Tooele Cemetery.