LaVere Hunter Terry

LaVere Hunter Terry was born on December 14, 1941, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Merrill Lorenzo Terry and Euphamia Ellison Hunter.

He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he developed a lifelong love for the Danish people, culture, and language. A devoted member of his faith, he continued to serve in many church callings throughout his life. He also served his country as a member of the Army National Guard.

While living in Bountiful, he met Kathleen Jensen, the love of his life. They were married on September 3, 1965, in the Salt Lake City Temple.

LaVere earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Utah and spent the majority of his career as the media center coordinator at Millcreek Junior High School. There, he also coached the chess team, fostering critical thinking and sportsmanship in his students.

LaVere had a lifelong passion for cars and motorcycles. After retiring from education, he worked alongside his brother Boyd at the local auto auction. He also had a deep love for history, and his children “fondly” remember the frequent—and sometimes mandatory—stops at historical markers on family road trips across the country.

LaVere led an active life and enjoyed sharing his favorite activities with others. His love of the outdoors extended to gardening, jogging, motorcycling, cycling, kayaking, sailing and cross-country skiing.

A lifelong music lover, LaVere enjoyed singing in both his high school and church choirs—earning the nickname 'Canary' in his youth—and listening to favorite bands like The Beatles and The Beach Boys. When puttering in the garage Paul Harvey was his constant companion so he always knew “the rest of the story.”

In his later years, he enjoyed reading, especially westerns and historical fiction.

LaVere is survived by his loving wife, Kathleen Jensen Terry; his four children, Kris Terry (Lisa), Drew Terry (Tiffany), Nicole Simons (Sean), and Kara Terry Peterson; grandchildren; Brandon (Tara), Jordyn, Alyssa, Zak (Patty), Allie (Austin), Josh, Skyler, Reagan (Aidan), Gretchen, Summer; and great-grandchildren Isabella, Caroline, Lila, Ollie, and Eloise; and his sister, Sandra Hatch.

A viewing will be held on Monday, April 21, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Russon Mortuary, 295 North Main Street, Bountiful, Utah. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at the Bountiful 4th Ward, 102 East 1400 South, Bountiful, Utah, with a viewing from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and the service beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary Live Facebook page and on this obituary page. The live stream will begin about 10-15 minutes prior to the service and will be posted below.

If you wish to order flowers for the service please order at this link: https://www.flowerpatch.com/ and use LaVere Terry as the deceased and Russon Bountiful Mortuary as the mortuary.