Val Swensen

Obituary of Val R Swensen

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Val R. Swensen -- father, grandfather, brother, and friend – died January 16, 2025, in Taylorsville, Utah, following a lengthy illness. Dad’s passing breaks our hearts, but his loved ones are comforted knowing he now has peace and freedom from his physical challenges he was enduring the past few years. Val was born October 16, 1946, to his loving parents Rell and Mabel Swensen, joining his older brother Gary to round out the family. He grew up on the family’s Taylorsville sugar beet, onion, and egg farm. Where it was often said that he and his brother Gary were raised by three mothers, his mother Mabel, his neighboring Aunt Wilma Cook, and Grandma Cook. All of whom gave him love, support, and taught him endless valuable life lessons. Val’s youth was spent on the court with his neighborhood friends, playing church volleyball/basketball, and just spending good times with friends and family. He did all that all while trying to avoid as much work as possible on the farm, where his father still managed to instill a strong work ethic in him. He also enjoyed raising a little hell with his friends too, always touting himself as the black sheep of the family. Val attended Granger High School 64’ where he was on the school basketball team. Val joined the Utah National Guard soon after high school. He then took a job with the Union Pacific Railroad as machinist which then led to an interesting 39-year career as a locomotive engineer where he gained the work nickname Moses (due to his seniority, and long gray hair in his later years). He was a proud union member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and chaired many union positions. Val married twice. His first marriage was to Linda Plott, with who he had two sons, Shane and Brett. He later married Linda Watts to whom he had a son Erik and daughter Emily. Not straying from the family’s Taylorsville farm Val built a family home on the property and lived there most of his life. If not at home, or work, those close to Val always knew you could always find him in the corner booth at Village Inn having coffee daily and sometimes all day. He loved his Village Inn servers “The Girls”, cooks, and managers like family. He also enjoyed the company of neighborhood friends that dropped by to chat him up and say hi. Val is survived by his three sons, Shane Plott (Katie), Brett Plott (Stacy), Erik Swensen (Ronda), and daughter Emily Barton, 9 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren. We would like to thank the staff and caregivers at Meadow Peak and those with Elevation Hospice for their care of Dad over the past years, in our home and at the assisted living center. We will always miss you dearly Dad! Thank you for all your unconditional love, support, and the great life you always provided for us. Val’s life will be memorialized at a celebration of life gathering to be held at a future date. Please RSVP for future gathering information so we can include you at ValSwensen1946@gmail.com In lieu of flowers or monetary donation please take your loved one(s) out for breakfast, raise your coffee cup or diet coke, give a nod to Val, and leave your waitress a great tip!
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We are deeply sorry for your loss ~ the staff at Independent Professional Services
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Val Swensen

In Loving Memory

Val Swensen

1946 - 2025

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