Donna Jill Swensen Dea

Donna Jill Swensen Dea completed her earthly mission on November 13th, 2024.

She was born to Boyd and Beatrice (Cluff) Swensen on May 7, 1937 in Magna, Utah. Donna was the oldest of five children. She spent many hours in her younger years caring for her siblings and playing in the fields of Magna. In these early years, she developed a great love for nurturing and taking care of young children. Throughout her life she was never more happy than holding a baby. (Or a dog!)

She graduated from Cyprus High School in 1955. While in high school, she met the love of her life (who happened to be her best friend’s cousin) – Kay L Dea. They were sealed for time and all eternity on June 8, 1955, in the Salt Lake City Temple, just a week after Donna’s high school graduation.

In their early years of marriage, Donna worked at the telephone company in downtown Salt Lake while she supported Kay through his educational pursuits at the University of Utah. In 1959 they relocated to New York for Kay to continue his schooling. Many years later, she would tell her children about their experiences in New York while Kay was in school. While sharing those stories, she would say that they had been “too poor to buy celery for soup” – but that she had “all she had needed because they had one another.” Her love for Kay was fierce. In 1961, they returned to Utah, where they purchased their first home in Magna – and continued to grow their family.

In 1968, they designed and built their dream home in the East Millcreek area. It is here where they would raise their five children and grow old with one another. Donna loved her home and prided herself with keeping it spotless! A family joke is that if she wore perfume, it would smell like bleach. She loved looking out her kitchen window at Mount Olympus – which she called “her” mountain. She also enjoyed many family picnics up the road in Millcreek Canyon. Donna had many fond memories of the ward members and neighbors in the East Millcreek area. Due to failing health, her last few years were spent at their home in Ivins, Utah. Here, she loved to sit at the kitchen table and watch the ducks on the pond behind their home while staring at “her” red mountain.

Donna dedicated her life to supporting her husband and raising her family. She was simple and genuine. She was quiet and meek. Her greatest joy was her family and her dogs.

She loved babies, ice cream, Sees chocolates, making homemade Christmas candies and gingerbread houses, a clean house, card games, traveling, attending live theater, dogs, and spending time in the mountains.

Over the years, to support her husband in his career, they spent extended periods of time in New York, Hawaii, Israel, Hong Kong, and Colorado –but she always called East Millcreek “home.”

Although Donna battled dementia her last ten years, she never forgot her love for her Savior and spoke often about how excited she was to once again be with “Mother Dea”, her best friend - Toby, and her Sister-in-law - Ida. We know that they are now having a joyous reunion.

Donna was the proud mother of five, grandmother of 13, and great-grandmother of 10, with two more great-grandchildren on the way. She is survived by her Eternal companion/husband Kay of 69 and a half years. She is survived by her children— Brenda Dea (Hurricane), Pamela Grayston (Phoenix, AZ), Brian Dea (Phoenix, AZ), Jeanette (Jen) Gehring (Rick, Highland), Jayson Dea (Mallory, Salt Lake City), and her beloved dog Sapphire. The family would like to express thanks to the numerous private caretakers and hospice employees who loved her and cared for her with gentleness over these last several years. No amount of thanks could do justice to our heartfelt appreciation for these “angels on earth.”

A viewing will be held on Saturday November 23, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. with the funeral following at 11:00 a.m. Services will be held at the Holbrook mortuary located at 3251 S. 2300 E. in Millcreek.