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Byron David Jensen

17 Sep 1925 – 19 June 2025

Byron enjoyed a healthy Father's Day and became ill on Tuesday morning, passing away early Thursday at Saratoga Springs Assisted Living, his home of only 5 weeks.  He was 99 ¾ yr old and in relatively good health, only using a cane occasionally until the last two months when he resorted to a walker.  He wanted to move on so badly, that his absence is bitter sweet.

Byron is the 5th of seven children born to Vernon Jensen and Olga Pedersen who later divorced. He is the last surviving sibling or in-law on both the Jensen and Hughes families.

He was born in Salt Lake City and grew up in Taylorsville and Salt Lake, after two years in Oregon as a very young child.  He lost his younger brother, Carl in 1929 shortly after the family returned to Taylorsville from Oregon.  His mother and father divorced in 1932 when he was seven years old.   The Jensen siblings, two sisters and four living brothers had a bond forged in struggle and poverty.

Byron graduated from South High School one year early because of World War II.  He worked for Union Pacific as a Yard Clerk until he was old enough to enter the military.  He served in the Army Air Corps and was still in training when the war ended.  He served an LDS mission to the Northern States Mission from 1947 to 1949.  He returned to marry his sweetheart, Darlene Hughes.  After a 2 day honeymoon, they returned to find his employment had closed up shop.  He applied to Mountain Bell, was hired, and spent the rest of his working life with them from Technician to "Service Manager, Network" in 1983.

After retiring at age 58, he volunteered for more than 10 years as an aide teaching kids to read at a local grade school.  He loved fixing things, especially cars.  He was good at it and could often be found in his garage with someone's car, belonging to a relative, a neighbor, a friend of relative or neighbor, etc.  He was deliberate and thorough.  Darlene often referred to him as "TJ" for "Technical Jensen."  Their home was always open and it was referred to as "The Jensen Hilton."  Three nephews, John and David Bauman and Bruce Jensen, lived there while they worked on their BYU educations.

Byron and Darlene had 6 children, Jan (Neil Budge), Mark (Mary), Darrel (Tami), Vern (KayLyn – div), Robert (Sheri), and Carl (Judy-div).  They lived in Salt Lake, Provo, Holliday, and 57 years in their home in Orem.  They were married 71 years when Darlene passed away in July of 2020 at the age of 91.  They lived together at Covington (Lehi) for two years.  After Darlene passed away, Byron lived 5 years with his daughter Jan and her husband, Neil in Lehi, then in Eagle Mountain.

Byron has 27 grandchildren, 77 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren.  He is preceeded in death by Darlene, sons Mark & Vern, three grandsons, and one great grandson.  He had one stepbrother, George, and two half brothers, Keith and Leon.

Services will be held June 27, 2025, at the Wing Mortuary Chapel, 118 East Main in Lehi at 10:00 am.  There will be a viewing at 9:00 am prior to the funeral.  Interment will be at the Orem City Cemetery.