Gloria Lee Morrison vanSoolen
Gloria Lee Morrison vanSoolen passed away on January 27, 2022 in West Valley City, Utah. Gloria was born on June 30, 1934 to Lydia LaSena Christensen and Arthur Wendell Morrison, the youngest of three children.
She attended Liberty Elementary, Lincoln Jr. High and South High School in Salt Lake City. She graduated from the University of Utah in 1956 with a business degree and a minor in secretarial training. In 1965 she returned to the U to complete course work for a teacher’s certificate and in 1986 she received her Master’s degree from Utah State University in Education.
Gloria taught school for 37 years, primarily second grade students at Vista and Robert Frost Elementary schools. She also taught ESL kindergarten in California.
She married Harry vanSoolen on September 19, 1969, an authentic Dutchman from Rotterdam, Netherlands. Harry took Gloria to Holland for their honeymoon and they also traveled to Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Gloria loved to build rockets, cardboard boats, electric cars and sailboats with Harry, just to name of few of their shared hobbies. She had a collection of model trains, influenced by the career of her father who worked for the Union Pacific. She learned to sew from her mother and often made her own fashionable clothes. She loved English, math, and science and mastered shorthand at an early age, working as a secretary before starting her teaching career.
She loved her callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in Primary and leading drama productions. She was always supportive of her extended family.
She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Reta Maralyn Morrison Allred and brother, Arnold W. ‘Bud’ Morrison. She is survived by her husband Harry and son Ben; sister-in-law BJ Peterson; brothers-in-law Rudy, Robert and Jerry vanSoolen and numerous nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews.
Services will be held on Thursday, February 3, 2022 at 11:00 am at the Hunter 15th Ward chapel, 5000 West Pavant Avenue, West Valley City, Utah. Friends may call at the church on Wednesday evening 6-8 PM and from 9:30 am-10:30 am prior to the service. Interment will follow the service at Memorial Estates Mountain View, 3115 East Bengal Blvd. Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Online condolences and memories can be shared at www.daltonhoopes.com.
The service will also be broadcast at: https://bit.ly/Hunter15th
3 Comments
Dear Ben ad Harry,
We are sorry we couldn’t be there today to give you each a hug and our love! We were able to listen to the funeral online, and really appreciate the opportunity to be reminded of all the reasons we love Aunt Gloria. Our children all loved her, too, and have fond memories of interacting with her at family get-togethers.
She was truly one of a kind! Love, Robyn and Alma
Gloria VanSoolen touched 1000s of lives. She was so very kind, loving, caring, and such a talented Christlike, Examplary, productive person, friend, neighbor, teacher, and well loved role model. What an amazing, productive, elect lady. We were blessed to have known and loved her. She truly loved her testimony and improved the lives of all she new. Love ? from GAYLEN, Our Celestial Motivator Myrna, and ALL Our Chapman Family
Gloria was a wonderful friend, she worked with me in Relief Society doing the wonderful Spot lights on the sisters. She never missed a meeting and was my right hand person, if I ever needed help with anything. I will miss her very much and wish the best for her husband Harry and son Ben.
Memories & Condolences