Jacqueline May Nordrum

Jacqueline May Nordrum

(Jaki)

A celebration of life will be held for Jacqueline “Jaki” May Nordrum, 76, on Friday, June 3, 2022 from 6-8 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 3051 S 2900 East, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Jaki was born on April 5, 1946 in Red Bank, New Jersey, to Oluf Ibsen Nordrum and Dorothea Marion Cook. As a child she loved spending time at the Jersey Shore with her family.

After graduating from Red Bank High School in 1964, Jaki moved to Salt Lake City to attend the University of Utah where she studied art. It was there that she met and married Doyle Mont Soderquist on April 15, 1965. Jaki and Doyle had three sons and later divorced.

Jaki had several jobs in early adulthood including professional dancing, making clothing for skiing and outdoors for a local retail store and owned a daycare.  

She was hired as a cartographic technician for the Bureau of Land Management in 1978 and held several positions there leading up to her final position as the director of the Fire Academy, which she loved. Jaki retired from the BLM in 2008 after 30 years of service.

Jaki had a zest for life and an often-mischievous sense of humor. She was fun to be with and had boundless energy to pursue her hobbies and interests. She excelled at most everything she did, such as knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, painting, weaving, ceramics, quilting, and jewelry making, giving away many of her exquisite creations to family and friends. Jaki also loved to work in her yard and took great pride in making it beautiful.

Jaki had a great love of animals, particularly dogs, and during the past decade rescued greyhounds.

Jaki was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2018. She had survived breast cancer 15 years earlier and approached her new cancer diagnosis with humor and strength. She loved the doctors and nurses at Utah Cancer Specialists and appreciated the skill and compassion they exhibited. Jaki passed away at home on May 28, 2022, surrounded by her loving family.

Jaki was preceded in death by her parents, her older sister, Melva “Nonie” Annette Larsen (Don), and her canine pets including, Tashi, Willow, Tashi 2, Duke and Bristol. She is survived by her sons, Scott Ibsen, of Millcreek, Errol Emil (Jamie) of Whidbey Island, Washington and Mark Doyle of West Valley City, Utah, her sister Fawn Ingrid Christopher (David) of Spanish Fork, Utah, her canine boys, Charlie and Jager, and nieces and nephews.

GOD’S BEST GIFT – Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends. For it is one of God’s best gifts. It involves many things, but above all, the power of going out of one’s self. And appreciating whatever is noble and loving in another.

-Thomas Hughes