Victor Nielsen

Victor Gurney Nielsen

1939 - 2014

Victor Gurney Nielsen of Salt Lake City departed on August 31, 2014 at Intermountain Medical Center after suffering from a stroke.  Vic was born in Idaho Falls, ID on January 7, 1939 and began a lifetime of service helping everyone around him, including volunteering to help during the Teton Dam disaster.  The child of Victor LeRay Nielsen and Sarah Lucille Green, a military family, he traveled with his father’s deployments and attended high school and later The Polytechnic in London, England.  He continued his education, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with honors, at the University of California, a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science at the University of Utah, and was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.

He served six years in Germany as a Captain in the U.S. Army, and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service.  He ministered to the youth by volunteering as a Scoutmaster, led camps to Philmont Scout Ranch and was engaged in Church youth programs his entire life.  His crowning scouting achievement was his completion of the Wood Badge program.  He was active in his community and was elected Mayor of Kruegerville, TX as he included public service in his contribution.

Vic had a long and distinguished financial career as a benefits consultant for Milliman and was the Vice President of a banking institution.  He mentored many of his children to enter the Benefits field who benefit from his introduction to that career field to this day.

Dad was the perennial hobbyist who craved knowledge and learned in everything that he did.  He always engaged in collecting and hobbies, including stamp collecting, butterfly collecting, coin collecting, camping, nature hikes, and train building.  His life’s pursuit however was the salvation of those that passed before through his work with Family History and Genealogy.  With a nine-year church service mission at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, he was able to turn his prime hobby into a service that helped many thousands of families re-connect with their ancestors through his insight and guidance.

He married his true love, Marlene Yvonne Swim in 1961 in the Salt Lake City Temple with whom he served a CES Senior Mission for 18 months in Rapid City, South Dakota. He also served as a Bishop of the Denton II Ward in Texas where they lived for thirty-five years and shared their strong testimony of Jesus Christ.  Vic and Marlene were blessed with seven children, Virginia (Kevin) Dolan, Eric (Natalie) Nielsen, Kirsten (Vince) Rozmiarek, Jared (Nina) Nielsen, Seth (Cherese) Nielsen, Sarah (Mark) Robbins, and Joshua Nielsen, along with twenty-four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren who survive him but feel his absence and cherish the memories that they have of a gentle, kind, caring, and wonderful man.

The visitation will be held at 3pm on Thursday, September 4 ^th , 2014 with the funeral service at 4pm at 5565 Neighbor Lane, Cottonwood 7 ^th Ward, Holladay, UT 84117.

In lieu of flowers, make donations to the Perpetual Education Fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, University of Utah School of Medicine Body Donor Program, or charity of your choice.
Funeral Recording