"If I should die before my time, please do not feel sorry for me ‚ but celebrate that I have had a fun, full and wonderful life" Valene
Valene Simon \"Val\" 78, loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt and friend has moved on to the next phase of her eternal journey. She passed away on April 4, 2019 of natural causes joining her beloved parents Frank and Luetta Swensen, sister Diane McCullough and step-son Tim Simon. Valene is survived by her husband Richard D. \"Dick\" Simon of 58 years, their four children Kelle (Julie), Lyn (Helen), Sherry (Jon) and Richard Dick Jr. they currently have 10 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren and her brother Frank A. (Ruth) Swensen II.
Valene began life May 22, 1940, the second of three children in Magna, UT. As a young girl, Valene enjoyed camping and fishing with her parents. She especially loved roller-skating and cruising Main Street in Magna ‚ keep in mind she was a teenager during the 1950's.
After high school she went to work for Utah Wholesale Grocery, which today is now Sysco Foods, where she met a young truck driver (Richard D. Simon) who routinely delivered product. They quickly fell in love and were married September 10, 1960 just six months after meeting. They had 4 children.
Valene was an exceptional woman with hundreds of friends and a great business person too, building their company, Dick Simon Trucking, Inc. from 1 truck in 1960 to 2,300 trucks in 2000. Dick taught Valene how to drive a truck. In the early days, Valene would drive the truck with Dick each week. They loved their employees and their employees loved them. Valene was affectionately nick-named "Boss Lady".
Valene had a passion for snow skiing. In 1960 she became the 2nd woman in North America to be accepted on the US National Ski Patrol and worked her way up to be their Director of First Aid for Utah. She taught CPR classes, overnight survival skills in dugout snow caves and how to evacuate people from chair lifts by rope. She volunteered at the Brighton Ski Resort once a week for 25 years, and she taught all of her children how to ski.
Valene also loved golfing, accomplishing 2 hole-in-ones in her lifetime both at Hidden Valley Country Club in Salt Lake City, UT. She had a lot of fun with her lady golfers and she loved playing in tournaments. Valene also loved motorcycles ‚ Harley's in particular. She was a member of the Palm Desert Riding Club and she was an avid rider in Salt Lake City, UT. She had a Harley in Salt Lake and Palm Springs.
She loved to be outside working in her yard and keeping it meticulous and beautiful. She enjoyed cooking and getting the entire family over for the holidays with 18 people at the dining table...and Sunday dinners with the immediate family. She enjoyed traveling, spending time with family.
We will all miss her laugh, contagious smile and her sincere love for each of us. We love you Mom! We want to thank all of her friends for all the love you gave to her throughout her lifetime!
"What a great time we had with our family snowmobiling and the bus and motorcycle trips. We have a family that I am so grateful for and the 58 years we spent together" your loving husband Dick
Family and friends of Valene are invited for a viewing at the Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 E Dimple Dell Rd. (10600 S.), Sandy UT on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at 11 am at Valley View Memorial Park, 4335 West 4100 South, West Valley City, UT.
