Clive Jorgensen

Dr. Clive D. Jorgensen, 86, of Orem, Utah, passed away November 8, 2017, at Legacy Village Assisted Living of Provo, Utah, after a long battle of diabetes and several strokes. He was too tired to fight any longer and joined his parents, Abraham Darrell and Afton Cook Jorgensen; an infant son Sean Jorgensen; and Ellaree Jorgensen, Glenna Fae Buhler and Paul Jorgensen. We are so grateful for the loving care given to him at Osmond Senior Living and Legacy Village, especially for “Maria” and Kelly Hyatt who cared for him for nearly three years. We are grateful for all of the CNA's who comforted him daily and Canyon Home Care and Hospice and iCare Home Health and Hospice.

Clive was born at home to Afton Cook and Darrell Jorgensen, in the little white house that sat on 800 South in Orem, Utah, until Costco and other buildings replaced it. Clive was an “enigma” which means puzzling and difficult to understand. He was usually anxious to engage in energizing conversation with colleagues, family, and associates as long as they could keep up with him.

Clive married Sheila Gardner on August 15, 1955, in the Salt Lake Temple, officiated by President Elray Christiansen. Clive attended schools in Logandale, Nevada; Burley, Idaho; American Fork, Utah.  He graduated from BYU with a master’s degree and from Oregon State University with a Ph.D. in Zoology and Entomology. He went on to work at the Nevada Test Site doing research and was then a Professor of entomology at Brigham Young University for 35 years. During his time there, he taught several classes in biology and entomology and conducted numerous research projects with his graduate students.

Clive traveled to several foreign countries helping with pest control and authored many papers for conference presentations. Clive spent five years working for the Department of Energy in Washington DC. He took a leave from his college courses in 1954 to join the army and spent his time doing research at the Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah.

Clive surprised many people with his desire to write poetry some of which only he understood. He loved carving wooden bowls out of a variety of types of wood burls. It was a lengthy process, but he made over a hundred of them, large and small. He collected and documented antique kerosene lamps until he had 220 in all shapes and sizes surrounding throughout the home. After his retirement, he spent two or three years building his and Sheila’s dream cabin in Fairview Lake, Utah. His family and friends spent time relaxing, fishing, and meditating at the cabin.

Clive is survived by his wife Sheila Gardner Jorgensen; his sister Elva (Lee) Attwood; his brother Robert (Janice) Jorgensen; his four children Erik (Myrna) Jorgensen, Garn Jorgensen, Kris (Katy) Jorgensen, and Stacy Jorgensen; 12 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren. Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, November 15, 2017, at the Suncrest 10th Ward Chapel located at 90 North 600 West, Orem, Utah, from 11 a.m. to noon. A viewing will be held at the Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary on Tuesday, November 14, 2017, from 6 to 8 p.m., and on Wednesday, November 15, 2017, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. just prior to the funeral service at the church.  Interment will be at the Orem City Cemetery.

Condolences may be expressed to the family on this site.