Jennifer Zaugg Jensen

Jennifer Zaugg Jensen—Jenny, Jen, Ms. Jen—came dancing into our lives on March 10, 1973.  Her laughter and smile, her singing and dancing, the way she lived each day, were always big and expansive, full volume, and beautiful.  Born in Virginia, she moved to Bountiful, Utah when she was 4 months old, and lived there until 5 years ago, when her family moved to Reno, Nevada.  She loved growing up in Bountiful, where she attended Bountiful Elementary, Millcreek Jr. High, and Bountiful High.  She was the winner of the District Spelling Bee, the Sterling Scholar in Speech and Drama from BHS, and sang with a rich alto voice in Chamber Choir.  After attending Utah State University for two years, she served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Argentina, where she worked hard, “spoke like a Latin,” and loved just about everyone she met.  One woman told us, “She hugged everyone, and so got lice more than anyone we know.” She also enhanced her ongoing love of the Savior and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Returning, she met another Argentine missionary, Aric A. Jensen, in a U of U Spanish class, and they soon married.  They had three children, Emily, Matthew, and Elizabeth, and Jen involved her family in enchanting adventures, stellar musical performances, a deep love of reading, showcase birthday parties, and consistent and spontaneous laughter and singing—in four-part harmony.  She graduated from the University of Utah in Spanish, and eventually got an M.Ed. from Western Governors University.  She taught third grade, but then got her dream job as librarian for the Honors Academy of Literature in Reno, Nevada, where she adored and was cherished by the students and staff and made a lasting difference in their lives.  Recently she developed a great shark-themed reading marathon program called a “Reading Frenzy.” They chose her as Teacher of the Year and renamed the library after her.  Jen served her HAL friends enthusiastically and courageously through the six months of her cancer, and promised to haunt the library and love them all forever.

Jen is famous for: acting out scenes from Anne of Green Gables with cousins and friends;    designing amazing costumes and props and computer class schedules for Bountiful’s Creative Arts Academy;    creating three incredible trees for the Festival of Trees—and one more in the works;    dancing with grace and wild abandon whenever the opportunity arose—and often she created the opportunity;    an instinct for music that begat a beautiful singing voice, a willing and adequate piano and guitar accompanist, and wonderful Primary music chorister;     her encyclopedic knowledge of the words and music to myriad songs that made her and Bekah unbeatable in Encore;    being up for a party or adventure at any time;    her hearty laugh;    reading books with remarkable speed and comprehension and passion;    helping others make their dreams a reality;    her creativity and problem solving skills;    her remarkable brain—no matter what the doctors say;    her kindness and patience when teaching songs, math, literature, poetry, history, and deep ideas;    having more energy than any ten people;    helping everyone feel they are loved, have great value, are her best friend forever, and that they can do it!;    her powerful and active testimony and understanding of the Gospel and Atonement of Jesus Christ, and her uncomplaining faith that her experiences are part of some personal divine plan;    her quiet bravery, humor, and grit in the midst of pain that would send the rest of us to our knees;    facing even very difficult circumstances with great courage and her trademark bright-as-the-sun smile.  Every day.

Jen loves: people of every age and personality;   singing with the Zauggs at the cabin;   the color orange;   dinosaurs; the zoo;   fun hats;   her HAL family;   the book Dandelion Wine;   Brian Andreas books;   beautiful children’s literature;   well, really, just about all books;   dancing—and the music that helps her do it;   creating—art, music, costumes, quilts, rooms, displays, stories, plays, programs, lessons, learning situations, worlds;    serving in whatever way she can;    the children in her primary, and Sisters—People(!) in her ward—in ALL her wards;   her noisy, crazy, creative, loving, wonderful family;   the Lord, His words and works, and the incredible love and life He has given her.  Jen recently said that service was her love language, and all of us can attest to that fact.  And Jen was brave.

Jen left this world, but not our hearts, on March 20, 2021.  We are not sure we can survive without our Jen, but she is survived by her husband, Aric A. Jensen, and their children Emily C. Jensen (also Ogden, UT), Matthew D. Jensen, and Elizabeth G. Jensen, of Reno, NV; her parents, Mark M. and Carolyn White Zaugg, North Salt Lake, UT; Siblings, Robert and Amanda Zaugg, So. Jordan, UT; John and Amber Zaugg, Tucson, AZ; Rebekah Z. and Dan Chatterley, Seoul, Korea; Nathan and Melia Zaugg, Farmington, UT; Andrew and Laura Zaugg, Bountiful, UT; David and Bernarda Jensen, LA, CA; Bram Jensen, Park City, UT; Christian Jensen (Michael Tsai), Beijing, China; 26 nieces and nephews; in-laws and cousins, aunts and uncles, and hundreds of students and friends who have had the Sunshine that is Jen in their lives. A masked and distanced memorial service will be held for Jen at 11:00 on March 27, 2021 at the Springwood Ward Chapel 165 W. Monarch Drive, Bountiful, Utah.  It can also be seen via You Tube at springwoodnsl.

Friends may visit at the chapel, beginning at 9:45 or on Friday, March 26, from 6 to 8 at Russon Brothers Mortuary in Bountiful.  See the complete obituary at russonmortuary.com