Cynthia Palmer Terry passed away at home surrounded by her family on June 2, 2025, after a 3-year battle with ampullary cancer. A dearly loved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, she was 75.
Born July 31, 1949, in Fillmore, Utah, to Virginia Crosland Palmer and Luther William ("Bill") Palmer, Cynthia grew up in the Canyon Rim area of Salt Lake City, Utah. As a young child, she lived in Berkeley, California, while her father was in the Navy. Her earliest childhood memory is of riding the Tilden Park carousel in the Berkeley Hills with her sister, Claudia. As a young girl, Cynthia loved classical ballet and studied dance for several years at the University of Utah's School of Dance.
Cynthia graduated from Skyline High School, class of 1967, where she was a Sterling Scholar recipient in homemaking. She then attended Brigham Young University, where she studied clothing and textile design. The summer following her Freshman year Cynthia traveled through Paris and Milan studying design in the Fashion Houses of Dior, Fabiani, and Pucci. She later changed her BYU major to Homemaking Education as she thought it was a better fit for her desire to be a wife and mother.
Cynthia and Woody's love story began in 1970. Cynthia had three other marriage proposals, but none of them felt right. When Woody returned from his LDS mission to Switzerland, his sisters encouraged him to ask Cynthia for a date - and the rest is history. They married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 26, 1970 and started their life together residing in the Avenues of Salt Lake City. Their first home was in Hunter, then in 1978 they moved to the
Quail Hollow area of Sandy, Utah, where they raised their family - Cameron, Adrienne, Zachary, and Woody - and were blessed with a wide circle of dear friends.
Around that time another love story was beginning. Cynthia's parents were building a family cabin at Brighton, which became a source of peace and joy throughout her life. The Cabin was a place of meaningful family connection throughout Cynthia's lifetime.
Cynthia's love for cooking and helping others led her to create her own small catering business, hosting craft boutiques in her home, and working in the children's department at Nordstrom where she guided buyers in choosing types of clothing offered there. She gave her time generously through the PTA and civic interests, always with warmth, creativity, and a willing heart. Cynthia's legacy in the community is one of selfless giving, gentle strength, and a life beautifully spent lifting others.
Cynthia had a gift for seeing needs and meeting them. She was a natural leader and very close to the spirit. Early in her marriage and continuing throughout her life, she was called to leadership positions within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was well known for hosting wedding showers for her young women, teaching girls to sew and cook, crocheting baby blankets, and always finding opportunities to teach and share her talents.
After supporting her children in their Church missions, Cynthia missed the spirit of service in her life and sought out further opportunities to minister.
In 2001 Cynthia became a host missionary at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to help "welcome the world" to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. That launched her 14 years of “Hosting” for the Church - at Temple Square she fulfilled roles as Hosting Missionary, Joseph Smith Memorial Building Supervisor, and ultimately Director of Church Hosting, a position that required Cynthia to interview, train and lead more than 1,000 amazing missionaries in their work across Temple Square.
In January 2009 Cynthia was called to chair the Draper Temple open house and dedication Hosting Committee. She helped create and prepare a reception area that welcomed over one million visitors. This also included preparing meals for an expected 5,000 guests, but miraculously ended up serving over 14,000 and always found a way to replenish the buffet.
In April 2015, after Woody's retirement, they began their next adventure together at the Heber Valley Camp. They started the first summer at the lake and then were asked to continue serving through the winter. It wasn't easy plowing snow, cleaning camps, and driving 4-wheelers - but they loved it. This led to a final year serving as Camp Operations Mangers with responsibility to care for over 156 missionaries and a camp ground that covered over 8,000 acres. Woody and Cynthia loved their time together at the Heber Valley Camp where they grew even closer as a couple.
Despite Cynthia’s many interests and notable church service, her greatest joy in life was her family. Cynthia made sure her family knew they were her priority. She was a present and loving guide in the lives of her children and
grandchildren and always made them feel they were capable of anything. She lovingly pieced and hand-stitched a quilt for each of her grandchildren when they were born, and has done the same for her great-grandchildren.
Cynthia was happiest attending the many sports competitions of her grandchildren as well as their choir concerts, dance performances, plays, and musicals. She was her family's biggest fan, and she loved them unconditionally and without judgment.
Cynthia was a true disciple of Jesus Christ and will be missed tremendously by her family - they are grateful to call her theirs.
Cynthia is survived by her husband of 55 years, Woody; son Cameron (Heather Brookfield) and grandchildren Sarah, Anna, Peter and Colby, Clayton, Carter Brookfield; daughter Adrienne (Drew) Clarke and grandchildren Palmer (Olivia) great-grandchild Ruby, Holden (Halle), Mathis (Makenzie) and Ashton; son Zachary (Trisha) and grandchildren Adison (Brennan), Maycie (Cam), Alivia, and Beckham; son Woody III (Jessica) and grandchildren Ivie and Cicely; her loving siblings and their spouses, Woody's sisters and spouses, and much-loved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Virginia and Bill Palmer.
Lastly - We wish to offer special thanks to Dr. Mark J. Ott and the staff at Intermountain Medical Center, to Dr. Jonathan Whisenant and the team at the Utah Cancer Society, to Dr. Ignacio Garrido-Laguna and his care team at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and lastly to Huntsman Hospice for their professionalism and warmth in caring for mom and - mostly - for extending her time with us.
I love you mom.
There will be a viewing on Friday, June 6, 2025, at the Country Park 5th Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 2447 West 11400 South, South Jordan, UT 84095 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, as well as prior to the service on Saturday June 7, from 9:30-10:30 am, where all are welcome. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 11:00 am at the same location, followed by a private burial for family members at the Larkin Sunset Cemetery.
To view a recording of the service, please click on the blue tab above that says "Watch Service".
