Dorine Hale Nelson was born on November 22, 1936, to Beth Reynolds and Ronald Aroet Hale in Pocatello, Idaho. She was the first born of four children with three younger brothers.
Dorine’s family moved to St Anthony, Idaho after she was born where her dad worked for the telephone company until she was 5 years old. They moved back to Pocatello, Idaho where she attended grade school and Jr High School. When Dorine was 14 years old, her family moved to Salt Lake City, UT where she attended 3 different high schools (South, Granite, and Olympus). After HS graduation she attended one semester at BYU (Provo) and then moved back home which was Portland, OR. Because of the lack of finances, Dorine did not return to BYU but instead found a job as a secretary. She had excellent typing and secretarial skills! While she was at home working, she met a very handsome, charismatic dental student, John Nelson, who stole her heart. They were married in the Logan, Utah LDS temple for time and all eternity on June 24, 1957.
One year after being married, Dorine and John were blessed with a son. After Dental school in Portland, they were stationed in Texas and then Virginia for John to finish his commitment to the Army. Virginia is where their second child was born; a daughter! One of the hardest years of Dorine’s life was when John was stationed in Korea for one year while she stayed in Oregon with her two small children. Gratefully Dorine lived with her parents for help and support. About three months after John left for Korea, Dorine was surprised to find out that she was expecting their third baby! John did not meet his newborn daughter until she was 4 1/2 months old, when he returned from Korea! Later, Dorine and John were blessed with 3 more children; 2 daughters and a son. Now they had six children (4 daughters and 2 sons). Dorine and John raised their family in the Portland/Beaverton/Tigard, Oregon area where John worked as a family Dentist.
Dorine loved being a homemaker and mother and kept very busy raising her 6 children. She loved to sew and made many clothes for herself and her family. She loved to quilt and was a great pie maker! She enjoyed reading and always had a beautiful flower garden in her yard. Dorine was a die-hard BYU fan! She was also a Disney lover. Dorine enjoyed all kinds of music and learned to play the piano as a young girl and later in life learned to play the harp. She loved the beauty of nature, taking walks, watching movies at the theater, attending church each Sunday, and enjoying the blessings of the temple. She especially loved seeing and visiting with her children and grandchildren and getting to know her great grandchildren. She cherished her family and being part of their life.
Dorine had great faith and loved the Lord, Jesus Christ. She believed in the power of prayer. She was a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many teaching, ministering, music and leadership positions throughout her life. She especially loved working with the children! She loved teaching music to the children and directed many children and youth choirs. She also cherished her position as the ward choir director for eight years.
After John retired from his dental practice, he and Dorine decided to move to Phoenix, Arizona and then Tucson to be by family and sunshine! After extended family left Arizona, they decided to also leave and made their last home in Utah. They began in Pleasant Grove and then finished their mortal lives in Orem, Utah at Covington Senior Living.
Dorine passed away peacefully on February 11, 2023, surrounded by family (all 6 children) and dear friends. She was blessed to meet many wonderful people while living at Covington, who became very cherished friends and “family” to her. We will miss her gentle spirit, beautiful smile, and warm hugs. We are very grateful she is now with her sweetheart and eternal companion again.
Dorine is survived by her 3 brothers/spouses: Dr. Garron (Becky) Hale, Guy (Nikki) Hale, and Craig (Minta) Hale; 6 children/spouses: Steve (Keri) Nelson, Tammy (John) Payne, Debbie (Monty) Pierce, Sandy Assante, Mark Nelson, and Cherstin Lyon; and 25 grandchildren (17 spouses) and 45 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 25, 2023, at the Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery Chapel, 1950 E 10600 S, Sandy, Utah beginning at 11:00AM. Viewing will be held prior to services at the same location beginning at 9:00AM. Interment at Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery.
Those wishing to view the COMPLETED services via Zoom can click the "Watch Services" button or follow the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/-AlVJkq8tsBk8O24k1R6teshH3WccXjSoyYatxE1339xYnhuDd7MkHa_CHYlp0UE.2l6sU2XEJFE4e4Pq?startTime=1677342876000
I enjoyed getting to know your Mom at Dr. Smith's office. She was one of the classiest ladies I have ever known. She was so kind and patient, too! May you all feel our Savior's love at this tender time. She returned with honor!!
Dear Cousins:
We send our heartfelt sympathies at this time of your mom's, our aunt's, departing. She was such a beautiful, warm, and loving lady. We are excited that she will be with her eternal sweetheart, Uncle John Nelson. May the Lord bless you in your memories and hearts. God Bless you all. We send our love.
Bob & Kathy Christensen and family
To the Nelson Family,
Sending you all peace and love. I will always remember Aunt Dorine as one of the kindest people I've ever known. I know she will be missed.
Love to you all,
Dana
Garron, Guy, Craig, Steve, Tammy, Debbie, Sandy, Mark, Cherstin, and all the Nelsons and Hales
I wanted to send my deepest condolences for the loss of your sister, your mom, my aunt. The Hale eldest are taking it on the chin all of the sudden. It’s hard to imagine however expected, however brilliantly obvious that we all pass at some point. It’s hard to imagine the Earth without Aunt Dorine that unshakable radiant mountain, that lighthouse. She was as graceful as solid rock. She was as gentle as she was forged stainless steel polished to blinding mirror. I never saw her crack not even the slightest tipping in the endless sea of ironic wit and sarcasm that were you 6 children and their ocean of cousins. She was the smoother of discrepancies, the author of example, the peace ambassador in battles, the solution finder in troubles.
After spending endless Sundays in my early years and many Summers at the Nelson house with you guys I think I saw the full stack of Dorine. Steve’s shenanigans. Conflicts among the daughters. The younger ones figuring it out. She was a genuine WYSIWYG. "What You See Is What You Get." Steadfast, an unblinking giver. A true mom through and through.
Those will remain some of the most cherished of my life’s memories. It was a place of deep happiness, endless creativity & possibility. It was a place we laughed until we couldn’t breathe and played music until we dropped. The slick adventures we had were thanks to our parents sculpting a smooth path for us after they’d grown up in the Great Depression.
Back then I thought, with such perfect upbringing, these Nelson kids will all have the most perfectly smooth lives of the 20th century. But life doesn’t work like that. We all need to find our own challenges. Without a mountain to climb, what are we doing here?
We’d be limp. We’d be warriors without muscle, intellect or spirit.
So it goes. Winter throws a hardball, yet the hounds of Spring are on Winter’s traces. Clouds are parting, daffodils are crafting their height towards the Sun above the snow. Tree buds are ready to burst open with the next generation of seasons. This is all part of life, as natural as it should be. I wish this small thought brings you solace as it has myself when I lost my mother. I am in deep gratitude for the time I got to spend with my aunt Dorine, John and all of you guys. I am by any measure, better for it and full of joy from it.
Thank you all.
Your cousin, Eric Hale
I love this lady so much. Uncle John and Aunt Dorine have always been very special to me. I am so sorry to have missed this funeral. Jim and I spent time with them when we lived in Yreka California. They helped us so much. It was there that Uncle John suggested I get into the Dental Field. This was a suggestion that benefited me and my family for many years.
I have always loved Aunt Dorine's Smile and her gentle manner. She was such an example to me. Uncle John and Aunt Dorine were and still are a example of a special marriage.
Sharon Nelson Conger 360-990-7727